September 27, 2002

NDSU to Hold a Conference on Bio-Terrorism and Food Security

The Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies and the Great Plains Institute of Food Safety at North Dakota State University will hold a conference on bioterrorism and food security Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 28-29. The conference will address issues that have emerged after the events of Sept.11, 2001 and their effect on the international trade of agricultural products.

The conference will be held at the Fargo Ramada Plaza Suites and Conference Center. Registration is $150 for early registrants (by Oct. 5), and $200 after this date. For further information on the conference or registration, please contact Beth Ambrosio at (701)231-7334, or by email at beth.ambrosio@ndsu.nodak.edu. Additional conference details are available on the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies Website: http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/capts/.

The event will feature representatives from the federal government, agricultural industry, and academia who will evaluate the possibilities of and risks associated with intentional contamination in the processed food industries and the impact of contagious organisms on trade flows of agricultural commodities and goods. The conference will also address the possible impact of bioterrorism on the U.S. agricultural industry and discuss strategies to prevent terrorism in the processing and distribution of agricultural goods.

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan has been invited to speak at the conference. Other speakers include NDSU President Joseph Chapman, representatives from the USDA and U.S. Customs Service as well as representatives from the food and livestock processing industries. Professors and researchers from universities across the United States will also speak.

The conference sponsors are the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies, the Great Plains Institute of Food Safety, the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, and the NDSU Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics.

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Source: Beth Ambrosio, (701)231-7334, beth.ambrosio@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701)231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu