The Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act (SAFA) requires that DHS’ Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) carry out a program to coordinate the Department’s efforts to defend the country’s food, agriculture, and veterinary systems against terrorism and other high-consequence events. According to SAFA, the program should provide oversight, lead policy initiatives, and coordinate with DHS components and Federal agencies. However, CWMD has not yet carried out a program to meet SAFA’s requirements.

This occurred because CWMD believes it does not have clearly defined authority from the Secretary to carry out the requirements of SAFA. In addition, since its establishment in December 2017, CWMD has not prioritized SAFA requirements but instead has focused its resources on other mission areas. As a result, CWMD has limited awareness of DHS’ ongoing efforts and cannot ensure it is adequately prepared to respond to a terrorist attack against the Nation’s food, agriculture, or veterinary systems.