What is agro-terrorism, for which US arrested 2 Chinese? India a victim too

India Today

3 days ago

Are farm fields the new battlefields? The US seems to have averted an agricultural disaster after two Chinese nationals were caught and charged with smuggling a dangerous "biological pathogen". The incident brings into the spotlight a quieter yet devastating form of terrorism that has taken root in several countries, including in India, in recent years, known as 'agro-terrorism'.Agriculture or agriculture-based sectors are relatively easy targets - attacks are difficult to detect, and food systems can easily be weaponised. It is a cost-effective way of devastating the economies of rival countries, especially those relying on agriculture.
The fungus, Fusarium graminearum, is classified in the US as a 'potential agro-terrorism weapon'
advertisementWHAT HAPPENED IN THE UNITED STATES?Two Chinese nationals, a scientist and his girlfriend who is believed to be a member of the Chinese Communist Party, have been charged in the US for smuggling a toxic fungus in an attempt to infect farmland.
The Trump administration, which has called it a "grave national security concern", said Zunyong Liu, a researcher in China, tried to smuggle the fungus so he could study it at the University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked.US officials have alleged that Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen, the BBC reported.The fungus, Fusarium graminearum, is classified in the US as a "potential agro-terrorism weapon". Apart from wiping out crops like wheat, barley, maize and rice, it can lead to vomiting and liver damage if it gets into humans.advertisementThe fungus is responsible for "billions of dollars" in economic losses worldwide each year, the US Justice Department has said.WHAT IS AGRO-TERRORISM?In simple terms, weaponising farm fields by using biological agents to destroy crops is broadly termed as 'agro-terrorism'. It has far-reaching implications, especially for countries whose economy is dependent on agriculture.The goal is simple - devastate the economy and create social unrest. Minimal chances of getting detected, and its cost-effectiveness adds to its advantages.There is also a major loophole. There exists no international legal framework imposing criminal penalties on biological attacks against non-human targets.However, the idea of using biological weapons against crops or agricultural products is not new.During the Second World War, Germany targeted potato crops in Britain with "Colorado potato beetles". These beetles were found in England in 1943, indicating that a small-scale attack might have occurred. The beetles were apparently released from the aircraft.According to a University of Mostaganem research paper, Japan had also explored the option of 'agro-terrorism', intending to "attack" wheat fields in the US and Soviet Union with grain rust spores if the war continued.The US had also stockpiled over 30 tons of Puccinia tritici spores, the fungus responsible for wheat stem rust. It has been claimed that the US initially planned to destroy the rice crop in Japan, but later decided to use the atomic bomb to force the Asian nation to surrender.INDIA TOO HAS BEEN A VICTIMadvertisementIn India, the agriculture sector contributes around 17% to the country's GDP. As per the 2011 Census, around 55% of the population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities.Moreover, with key agricultural states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh sharing their borders with hostile neighbours like Pakistan and China, the threat of 'agro-terrorism' is even more real.According to a research paper published by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in 2016, a toxic fungus reported in Bangladesh was found in two districts of West Bengal.However, the government contained the spread of Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT), a wheat-blast-causing fungus, by banning wheat cultivation in the two districts for three years.Moreover, cultivation within 5 kilometres of the International Border in other districts adjoining Bangladesh was prohibited.The pest was believed to have been deliberately introduced into the Indian agro-ecosystem, but there has been no concrete evidence.Likewise, in 2015, an outbreak of cotton leaf curl virus severely damaged cotton crops in Pakistan. It led to a severe infestation of whitefly in southern Punjab, damaging two-thirds of the cotton crop, with losses amounting to USD 630-670 million. At least 15 cotton farmers died by suicide, the report said.advertisementAn investigation found that the virus sequences associated with the 2015 outbreak were not reported previously in India. The research paper said the virus sequences were detected and reported in experimental cotton plants maintained at two different cotton research institutes in Vehari and Multan in Pakistan's Punjab province.