This handbook provides an introduction to the food and agricultural sector and to criminal terrorist investigations in the United States. It also seeks to identify potential conflicts between various jurisdictions and agencies that might arise during joint investigations. Ultimately, the handbook aims to enhance the appreciation and understanding between various US agencies and facilitate communication between different officials in the event of a joint investigation of an agroterrorism incident. The handbook is aimed at law enforcement officials in the United States. However, for law enforcement officials outside of the United States, the information in the handbook may also serve as an example of how other countries structure the national regulations and response to potential agroterrorism events. 

This handbook was authored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (US FBI), and the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). The USDA is the federal executive department responsible for national regulations related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. The FBI is the principal federal law enforcement agency in the United States and serves as one of the nation’s leading organizations on matters related to couter-terrorism and counterintelligence. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is the federal agency responsible for the control, regulation, and supervision of food products, medical drugs and devices, and animal foods and feed. Given the regulatory and investigatory functions of all three agencies, all three agencies could potentially be involved in the investigation of an agroterrorism event in the United States. The handbook also describes several other United States departments and agencies that could be involved in the investigation of an agroterrorism attack. The handbook is only available in English and has not been updated since June 2008.