Agroterrorism:“the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease for the purpose of generating fear, causing economic losses, or undermining social stability.”
Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Feb. 1, 2012)
Quote + locator: “agroterrorism is defined as ‘the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease for the purpose of generating fear, causing economic losses, or undermining social stability.’” (section: “Agroterrorism”) [https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply]
Bioterrorism (related term):Terrorism using biological agents (e.g., anthrax, smallpox). (Use as a neighboring category; agroterrorism often treated as a subset.)
Source: Criminal Investigation Handbook for Agroterrorism (July 2008)
Locator note: document glossary + introductory framing; confirm exact definition when pulling full PDF pages for quoting.
Food and agriculture sector:Interlocking system of farms, livestock, processing, distribution, and retail that can be targeted via animal disease, plant disease, or food contamination.
Source: Criminal Investigation Handbook for Agroterrorism (July 2008), Introduction / Purpose and Scope.
Historical time line (high-level, citation-anchored)
6th century B.C.
Reported historical precedent:Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with rye ergot.
Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Feb. 1, 2012)
Quote + locator: “The Assyrians poisoned enemy wells with rye ergot during the 6th century B.C.” (section: “Serious Concern”) [https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply]
World War I (1914–1918)
Reported historical precedent:German agents in the U.S. infected horses and cattle in transit to France.
Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Feb. 1, 2012)
Quote + locator: “During World War I, German agents in the United States infected horses and cattle in transit across the Atlantic to France.” (section: “Serious Concern”) [https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply]
1994
Domestic U.S. case (food chain contamination):The Dalles, Oregon salad bar salmonella attack sickened more than 750.
Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Feb. 1, 2012)
Quote + locator: “In 1994, in The Dalles, Oregon, a religious cult intentionally contaminated 10 restaurant salad bars with salmonella, sickening more than 750 people….” (section: “Serious Concern”) [https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply]
2001
Signal event (vulnerability demonstration):UK Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak required destruction of more than 4,000,000 animals.
Source: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin (Feb. 1, 2012)
Quote + locator: “in 2001, FMD in the United Kingdom affected 9,000 farms and required the destruction of more than 4,000,000 animals.” (section: “Foot and Mouth Disease”) [https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply]
July 2008
U.S. interagency doctrine:Joint federal handbook frames agroterrorism investigations and emphasizes cross-discipline coordination.
Source: Criminal Investigation Handbook for Agroterrorism (July 2008)
Federal directives (context for response roles):HSPD-5 and HSPD-9 are cited as establishing federal incident management and agriculture/food defense policy.
Source: Criminal Investigation Handbook for Agroterrorism (July 2008), “Overview of Federal Authority” and “Summary of Specific Directives & Legislation,” pp. 5–13 (by TOC page numbering; confirm exact PDF page when extracting).