Surges in avian flu in the U.S and African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) around the world have heightened public awareness of how a major outbreak in animal disease can cause wide-ranging harm. National security leaders and international animal health organizations are closely monitoring the outbreaks.
“Agricultural security is national security,” said Meghan Jackson, director for food, agriculture, and environment security for the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Institute of Agricultural and Natural Resources (IANR). “From ensuring food supply resilience to protecting against biological threats to our crops and livestock, agricultural research directly supports America’s strategic interests.
“NSRI and the University of Nebraska System (NU) bring together diverse disciplines—from housing both the state’s veterinary and plant diagnostic labs to state-of-the-art data science research and everything in between. We are creating the innovative solutions our federal partners need to safeguard America’s agricultural systems against emerging threats.”