Documents and resources
Protecting the Nation: Kansas and the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (pdf)
Based on the long timeline of the NBAF project that began in 2006, K-State put out a 26-page overview in 2020 to document the national bio/agrodefense effort. It covers the need for NBAF and the process by which it came to Kansas. Stakeholder perspectives are included at the end.
Foreign Animal Disease Threats and NBAF, ALN Magazine: 06/2018 (pdf)
“Agriculture Security is National Security” is the theme of this 2018 article in ALN Magazine entitled, “Foreign Animal Disease Threats and the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility.” It documents why bio/agrodefense must include protection against both natural and intentional threats to American agriculture — crops, livestock — food and people.
Kansas State University's 1999 Homeland Defense Program (pdf)
This 1999 document — which became known as "The Big Purple Book" — outlined the university’s Homeland Defense Food Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Program. The 100-page strategic plan for bio/agrodefense served as the blueprint for the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) at Pat Roberts Hall and multiple supporting programs.
Kansas State University's 1999 U.S. Senate Testimony (pdf)
Kansas State's former president, Jon Wefald, presented testimony before the U.S. Senate's Emerging Threats Subcommittee, chaired by Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, on Oct. 27, 1999. The title was, Agricultural Biological Weapons Threats: Food Safety, Security, and Emergency Preparedness. Few other entities or institutions were concerned with protecting American agriculture - crops, livestock - and food from global bioterrorists back then.
Kansas State University's National Agricultural Biosecurity Center (NABC) K-State's NABC was established in 2002 to confront U.S. bio/agrodefense challenges post-09/11. Some of the NABC's early efforts are summarized in the three graphics below. The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 reaffirmed the relevance today of The American System of Intergovernmental Management briefing papers put forth in 2003.
The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic also validated the importance of conducting bio/agrodefense preparedness exercises involving federal, state, and local emergency response agencies.
Additionally, a broad range of biothreat technical information produced by subject matter experts can prove invaluable in a bio/agrodefense emergency.
Safeguarding American Agriculture in a Globalized World: 12/13/2017 Testimony to the U.S. Senate by K-State President Richard Myers (pdf)
2011 NBAF Fly-through Video
