Remerging threat of Biological Weapons attack against Agricultural Targets and Agrobioterrorism, with advances in Gene editing, synthetic biology, and improved delivery systems

Food and agriculture are key elements of the critical infrastructure of every country because they provide products that are essential for life. The United States is a country with a highly developed agricultural sector. Food and agriculture constitute a sixth of the U.S. gross domestic product, totaling more than a trillion dollars per year, and exports of agricultural products make the largest positive contribution to the nation’s trade balance. Should biological warfare commence, food and agriculture will be targets because they are foundational to America’s health, welfare, and economy.