US food supply threatened: Foreign insects, diseases got into US post 9/11

As we have all seen, food prices are going up. Apparently, one of the main reasons, that the average American is not aware of, is skyrocketing foreign insect infestation. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security took over all incoming traffic, including people, merchandise, etc., but also food. Of course the department was created for our protection against future attacks, but what it has failed to do since its creation is to inspect incoming food cargo. Everyone was afraid of what could happen to our country next, but what was not predicted was this different kind of terrorism; food terrorism.
It does not take a genius to realize that food is important. For the past few years we have seen that crops have been failing across the country. I went to the grocery store a couple weeks ago to buy a can of pumpkin to make pumpkin bread and the woman working there told me there is a pumpkin shortage this year. Is it because of the insects? I don't know. But what I do know is that the addition of failing crops and insect infestation doesn't equal anything good. What makes matters worse is that insects are not the only pests being carried into the United States from overseas, but also plant diseases and contagions. Florida's citrus groves were destroyed by plant disease which resulted in the area being quarantined.
Environmentally and politically speaking, the cost of these infestations is enormous. Pesticides are the most common agents used to attack insects on crops. In 2008, California's Monterey Bay was covered in 1,600 pounds of pesticides designed to kill off the light brown apple moth from New Zealand. Unfortunately, 100 million dollars later, all these pesticides succeeded in doing was kill birds and cause respiratory problems to humans.
There is not one answer to this problem. Yes, inspections will start again and less insects and contagions will make it across the border, solving that problem, but what will be done to rid the crops of the already present foreigners? Perhaps more pesticides? And when those pesticides are released what will the affect be on the wildlife in that area? How will the pesticides affect the human population eating the crops that are treated? It's a domino effect, making the problem much more terrorizing then it may seem.
Jessica Burke


Cone, Tracie. "US food supply threatened: Foreign insects, diseases got into US post 9/11." msnbc. Associated Press. 10/10/2011. Web. 11 Oct 2011. < http://www.msncb.msn.com/id/44841097/ns/us_news-security/ >.