Food Safety and Biosecurity Policy - Essay Example

The human aspect of biosecurity includes zoonotic diseases and biological food safety. Plant production provides the basis of the human food chain and it is therefore a crucial target of biosecurity. Food safety and biosecurity policy have attracted a lot of debate. Many people are against this policy and countless others are of a different opinion supporting their cause and grounds. This paper will highlight some of the arguments that have been forwarded in favor of the policy and also summarize some of the arguments against it.

Many forces have heightened interest in biosecurity, including the increasing and globalized trade in food and agricultural products, expanding populations, advances in communications and technology, changing consumer patterns, rising popular awareness of sanitary and phyto-sanitary issue and greater attention to biodiversity and the environment and the impact of agriculture on these (Gullino, Fletcher and Gamliel, 2008, pg. 7). There are many arguments which have been forwarded in support of the food safety and biosecurity policy.

Some of these include; Food safety and Biosecurity policies facilitates the necessary infrastructure that is needed to prevent, detect, diagnose, respond and recover from disease outbreaks (Falk, Wallace and Ndoen, 2011, pg. 53). The trends for increased agricultural trade among nations contribute to the goal of global food security. However, this increased trade also brings heightened pressures from natural and intentional introductions of plant pathogens that threaten agricultural systems as well as food production and distribution systems.

The food safety and Biosecurity policies put in place facilitate the necessary infrastructure that is needed to prevent, detect, diagnose, respond and recover from disease outbreaks. Biosecurity policy facilitates the efficient use of limited resources through the harmonization of regulatory frameworks. Biosecurity recognizes common features among the relevant sectors, particularly in approaches to risk assessment and risk management, notification procedures, information exchange and international cooperation (Vapnek and Spreij, 2005, pg. 200). Thus it reduces burdens and facilitates the efficient use of limited resources by harmonizing the regulatory frameworks.

Food production and distribution networks are susceptible to accidental on-farm contamination with human pathogens. Food safety and Biosecurity policies facilitate for the recognition of and effective preparation for, the threat of agro-terrorism, this subsequently permits government and agribusinesses to reduce the vulnerability of the agro-food system. Food safety and Biosecurity policies are very vital in the maintenance of national security in terms of assuring its citizenry an uninterrupted supply of healthy food as well as economic growth.

The vulnerability of agriculture and the food chain to attack by those intending harm is based on several key features. One of these is the very importance of agriculture to national economies. Disruption of agricultural systems could have widespread and dramatic economic consequences in the food, feed and fiber sectors (Gullino, Fletcher and Gamliel, 2008, pg. 3). Affected stakeholders could include farmers and input suppliers, processors, upstream contributors such as the agrochemical industry and even the tourism and transportation sectors.

Agricultural exports in most