President Bush Feb. 3 called for stronger U.S. defenses against terrorist attacks and natural disasters in the country's agriculture and food system.

“America’s agriculture and food system is an extensive, open, interconnected, diverse and complex structure providing potential targets for terrorist attacks,” a presidential directive said. “We should provide the best protection possible against a successful attack on the United States’ agriculture and food system, which could have catastrophic health and economic effects.”

The plan would boost screening and inspection of agricultural products and food items entering the United States as well as domestic inspections, according to the directive.

The president asked the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments and the Environmental Protection Agency, among other agencies, to develop surveillance and monitoring systems able to detect threats to U.S. agriculture and food production.

He also directed his administration to develop measures to protect critical points in the food production and processing chain from the intended or unintended introduction of disease, pests or poisonous agents.

Moreover, Bush asked several departments to develop a coordinated and food-specific emergency response plan and enhance recovery systems so that these systems are able to rid the agriculture and food system of contaminated products and infected plants or animals, as well as stabilize agriculture production and the food supply after a terrorist attack or a natural outbreak of a disease occurs.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Mark McClellan said Feb. 2 that the budget request "takes into account the escalating demands of food safety and security, especially in the face of potential terrorist acts."