Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND COMMUNICATION IMPACTS OF AN AGROTERRORISM ATTACK

STEVEN M. BECKER

University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, Alabama

1 INTRODUCTION

As policy makers, the agriculture sector, researchers, emergency planners, and communities prepare to meet the enormous challenge posed by agroterrorism, increasing attention has been devoted to such critical issues as field and laboratory detection, surveillance, mapping, improved outbreak modeling, vaccine development and improvement, and disposal and decontamination options. Far less consideration, however, has been given to social, psychological, and communication issues. Yet, the manner in which these issues are approached will be one of the principal determinants of an agroterrorism event's outcome. The ultimate aim of an agroterrorism attack, after all, is not to harm crops or ruin agricultural products; rather, it is to destroy confidence in the food supply and in societal institutions, create fear and a sense of vulnerability in the population, reduce people's hope and resolve, and weaken the society and the nation. Effectively addressing key social, psychological, and communication issues will be crucial to the success of quarantines or other mitigation measures, and to efforts to minimize exposure to threat agents, reduce the impacts of an incident, maintain public confidence and trust, and better assist affected individuals, families, and communities [1]. It is no exaggeration, therefore, ...