Re-Imagining Food Protection as a National Security Issue - DHS Perspective
Presented by Mark Wittrock, Assistant Director – Health, Food, and Agriculture Resilience
Office of Health Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
1:45 PM - 2:30 PMTue
Food ProtectionFood SafetyVirtual Attendance Available
Assistant Director – Health, Food, and Agriculture Resilience Office of Health Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Health Security Health, Food, and Agriculture Resilience (OHS/HFAR) directorate is collaborating with industry, academia, and SLTT partners to safeguard the American food supply against catastrophic incidents. There is a recognized need to focus on interfaces between health, food, and agriculture to strengthen and protect the U.S. as threats continue to evolve due to climate change, emerging infectious disease, and technological evolution. It is the responsibility of OHS/HFAR to bring a national security perspective to the food and agriculture sector.
In recent years, OHS/HFAR has engaged directly with partners to perform risk assessments, develop strategic guidance, and design and deliver tailored exercise products to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from catastrophic events. To build upon these efforts, it is essential that OHS-HFAR continues to strengthen relationships with private sector partners to understand needs, learn best practices, and refine their strategy for mutual support in building resilience in the food and agriculture sector.
The objectives of this session are to provide an update on current initiatives and engage participants in a roundtable discussion on strengthening the partnership between DHS and the private sector, exploring planning and coordination gaps, socializing HFAR exercise tools, and obtaining input on areas of research.