Title: Assessing the terrorist threat to the food supply: food defence, threat assessments, and the problem of vulnerability

Authors: Gregory R. Dalziel

Addresses: Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, 5322, Endo, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0882, Japan

Abstract: Within a historically-informed framework utilising the related concepts of capability and intentions we identify and critically assess three core assumptions underlying the concept of food defence: 1) that there is a |real and current| threat to the food supply chain by terrorist organisations; 2) such an attack is easy to do; 3) the effects of such an attack can be extrapolated from food safety incidents. In doing so, we find that food defence is largely driven by perceptions of vulnerability, the effect of which is a misperception in threat.

Keywords: food defence; food supply chain; poisoning; terrorism; vulnerability perception; terrorist threat; threat assessment; threat perception; intention; capability; bioterrorism; CBRN; WMD; terrorist attacks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFSNPH.2011.042572

International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, 2011 Vol.4 No.1, pp.12 - 28

Published online: 27 Nov 2014 *