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Agroterrorism is the deliberate introduction of harmful biological agents—such as plant pathogens, animal diseases, or contaminants—into a country’s food supply or agricultural systems.
Agroterrorism has emerged as a serious national security concern, with the US Department of Justice recently charging two Chinese nationals in a case that underscores the threat. The pair allegedly smuggled Fusarium graminearum—a highly destructive fungal pathogen—into the United States for research at a University of Michigan lab. According to the FBI, this fungus, which devastates cereal crops and contaminates food supplies with toxic byproducts, could be weaponized to target a country’s agricultural infrastructure. The case highlights the growing fear that biological agents may be used to undermine food security and destabilise economies through deliberate agricultural sabotage.
What is Agroterrorism?
It is the deliberate introduction of harmful biological agents—such as plant pathogens, animal diseases, or contaminants—into a country’s food supply or agricultural systems with the intent to cause: widespread crop failure or livestock death, economic disruption, public panic or loss of confidence in food safety and government response. It targets crops instead of humans and is a form of bioterrorism. It's effects are not immediately visible, which enables pathogens to spread undetected.
It is highly dangerous as agriculture is highly centralized and interconnected, so an outbreak can spread rapidly. It can cause diseases in humans as well as affect the economy of the country.
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What is Fusarium graminearum?
The main reason Fusarium graminearum is feared lies in its production of trichothecene mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol (DON) — commonly called "vomitoxin." These compounds interfere with protein synthesis in both animals and humans, triggering a range of harmful effects including nausea, immunosuppression, and even DNA damage. As such, DON is a major concern for food safety regulators worldwide. Those consuming infected crops would get diseases such as vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive issues. Scientists use it to study how pathogens invade host plants, how toxins are biosynthesized, and how environmental stress influences gene expression. Its genome has been sequenced, making it a valuable tool for research in fungal biology.
The fungus has not been used to develop any approved medicines. Some of its toxins, like trichothecenes, have shown the ability to kill cancer cells in early research. However, they are also highly toxic to healthy cells, making them unsafe to use as drugs in their natural form.
Past instances of agroterrorism
Most incidents in the past involve biological sabotage of crops or livestock, either for political, economic, or ideological reasons. Often cited as the first bioterror attack in the U.S., members of the Rajneeshee cult poisoned salad bars with Salmonella to sway a local election. Though this targeted humans, later investigations revealed they were also experimenting with plant and animal pathogens, indicating agroterror ambitions. Authorities discovered a lab stocked with manuals and cultures related to crop and livestock diseases.
Post the 9/11 attack, US intelligence uncovered evidence that Al-Qaeda had studied agroterrorism as a potential strategy. The group had reportedly explored the use of foot-and-mouth disease and other agricultural viruses that could cripple livestock industries in Western nations. The Japanese Aum Shinrikyo Cult, known for the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack in 1995, have also allegedly conducted unsuccessful attempts to disperse botulinum toxin and anthrax to sabotage agriculture sector.
While no large-scale agroterrosim attempts have been discovered yet, the risk draws serious attention from governments and security agencies.
