Time to tame agro terror attacks and misuse of modern scientific research

By Cheruiyot Collins

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, western governments have become concerned with terror attacks against the agricultural sector.

Terrorists can cause great economic damage, create confusion and public panic. The US government through the department of homeland security, agriculture and food and drug administration is tasked with defending the US agriculture and food supply from natural and human attacks. The agriculture  sector is key for human survival. Like never before, it is vulnerable to attacks due to ongoing research activities.

For more than 8 000 years, farmers have practised selective animal and plant breeding to strengthen productivity. Today’s scientists can incorporate genes within and across species, giving rise to genetically modified organisms. In this context genuine safety, security, legal and ethical concerns regarding the genetically modified plants and animals have been raised. Risks involve gene escape to harm non-targeted species.

The greatest area of concern with modern research is the dual-use dilemma, which according to Selgelid 2009, arises when well-intentioned scientific research has the potential to be misused by individuals, state and non-state actors for evil purposes. This poses a fatal threat to public health, agriculture and environment. The dual-use dilemma is inherently an ethical dilemma. Malevolent researchers can steal dangerous material and make them available to terrorists, or turn terrorists for financial gains. Evil leaders and scientists can use the results for wicked aims.

Harmful agents

Terror attacks against crops or livestock can be done with harmful agents like bacteria, viruses and fungal pathogens like rice blast and wheat smut, which cause deadly plant diseases. In Kenya today, there has been an outbreak of a new strange disease named Maize lethal Necrosis.  It has so far led to loss of millions bags of maize.  The disease was first reported in Bomet County in the  South Rift. Farmers say it is a ‘mysterious disease’ owing to its virulent nature and precise attack in killing crops. The helpless farmers are at a loss, and serious questions have been asked How can our food security policies address such challenges? How and where did the disease originate? Can the farmers be compensated? Is it a case of agro terrorism? Is it an economic warfare?

Dual use researches pose risk in terms of development of actual biological and chemical weapons for bio terror and economic sabotage. There is therefore, an urgent need for governments and actors to develop effective policy frameworks to address these challenges. The 2004 Fink report, Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism called for voluntary self-governance, increased education about dual use, development of codes of conduct and establishment of science advisory board. The 2008 Israeli Report sought for mandatory education of life scientists on dual-use research.