United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns praised the trucking industry at the International Symposium on Agro-Terrorism for its role in developing voluntary security guidelines for the transportation of agricultural commodities and food.

Johanns cited the security guidelines developed by the Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference of the American Trucking Assns. in partnership with USDA as an "example of the proactive, voluntary action of our many partners, to protect our food and ag systems."
"To the trucking industry, I say thank you for your leadership," Johanns said. "Those who transport our ag and food products carry with them across almost 4 million miles of highway the strength of our economy and the health and well being of our economy."
Last year, USDA and AFTC unveiled two voluntary security tools for use in transporting agricultural commodities and food. The "Guide for Security Practices in Transporting Agricultural and Food Commodities" contains security measures to assist commercial agricultural and food transporters and their drivers in protecting personnel, facilities and vehicles. The "AFTC Resources Directory for Security Practices in the Transportation of Agricultural and Food Commodities" provides methods and tools for assessing threat vulnerabilities and implementing security plans to protect against intentional contamination or disruption, including terrorist attacks.
Copies of the "Guide for Security Practices in Transporting Agricultural and Food Commodities" and the "AFTC Resources Directory for Security Practices in the Transportation of Agricultural and Food Commodities" are available from both USDA and AFTC.
Visit www.truckline.com, http://www.usda.gov/homelandsecurity/, or call Fletcher Hall at the Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference at 703-838-7999.
The Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference of the ATA, founded in 1995, is the national organization representing commercial transporters of agricultural commodities, food, forestry and mineral products.