Agrosecurity

Catalog description

This course is designed to increase the awareness of the issues and vulnerabilities of the IS agricultural system, the importance of agriculture in the US economy, and the importance of protecting it from disease and/or attack. This course is organized to integrate and assimilate knowledge across multiple disciplines including agriculture, animal health, human health, infectious diseases, business, economics, and public policy. Students will identify and analyze the interactions between these disciplines in light of increasing population and concentrated agriculture's increased vulnerability to major disruptions in food production. Students will also analyze where potential links in the food chain are susceptible to disruptions by individuals (or natural disasters), the consequences of these disruptions, and how to minimize the associated risks by developing case studies and strategies for defending against specific threats. Students must have junior standing.