Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge helped launch the Center for Post-Harvest
Food Protection and Defense at the University of Minnesota
Tuesday and also heralded the start of the National Center
for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense at Texas
A&M.
The two schools received a total of $33 million in funding
from the Department of Homeland Security to research agro-terrorism
and animal diseases. (See Homeland
security announces agro-security centers, Meatingplace.com,
April 28, 2004).
"The work that will be done at these two outstanding institutions
is a vital component of our efforts to engage partners at
all levels, including governments, academia and the private
sector to help protect food and agriculture," Veneman said
at the ceremony.
"Researchers here will partner with industry leaders to
establish best practices to manage and respond to food contaminations
- whether they are intentional or naturally occurring,"
Ridge said.
The University of Minnesota will receive a $15 million grant
over three years, and Texas A&M will receive $18 million.
A third Homeland Security center focusing on risk and economic
analysis of terrorism is already established at the University
of Southern California. The centers are a partnership between
universities, the government and private companies, Ridge
said.
Ridge announced his department would begin accepting proposals
from universities for a fourth center focusing on the behavioral
and social aspects of terrorism.
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