By Dr. Michael Payne, UC Davis, School of Vet. Medicine & Director, CDQAP | Originally Published in CDQAP’s August 2025 Newsletter

With 300,000 grocery stores, one million restaurants and 2 million farms, our country’s Food & Ag sector is very big business. Unfortunately, at $3.5 trillion and 5.5% of our gross domestic product, food and ag also generates the kind of money that attracts some very serious criminals.

Producers’ first stop for law enforcement help is their local police or sheriff ’s department. This is particularly true in California, where the highly effective Rural Crime Prevention Task Force (CRCPTF) helps coordinate cross-county threats in rural areas.

Preventing and responding to national and international threats, however, requires more resources. This was the focus of the 3rd Annual Northern California FBI – InfraGard Symposium, held at the Cabral Ag Center on July 30.

The primary FBI partnership with private industry is the InfraGard Program, which started after the 2001 September 11 attacks. After a brief background check, industry representatives can receive intelligence and training that are not typically available to the general public.

Here are some of the non-classified, open-source highlights shared at the symposium:

Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) – A number of speakers emphasized the effectiveness of concerned citizens filing information potentially related to illegal activities. SARs can cover anything from violent threats on social media, indications of human trafficking or collection of hazardous materials. These reports are evaluated and entered into the national SAR database, where they are forwarded to the appropriate agency or law enforcement department. A number of dairy processor and trade staff have been trained to help assist producers in completing these reports.

Economic Espionage – A case history of agricultural economic espionage detailed the theft of $120 million worth of trade secrets by a Coca-Cola chemical engineer working for the Chinese government. A startling video produced by the FBI provided additional examples of insider espionage in the energy, agricultural, and military sectors. The FBI warns industries that 90% of intellectual property theft is accomplished using email, external hard drives, and downloading from cloud storage. Local offices of the FBI can provide companies with consultations, system assessments, and training.

Cyber-crime – Several ransomware attacks against agricultural companies were summarized. Also described were the 2023 cyber-attacks against two Central Valley dairies. CDQAP worked with law enforcement cyber-experts to develop crucial cyber-security practices for producers and local representative. For both producers and processors, CISA can provide resources including Vulnerability and Penetration Testing (VAPT), software scanning, threat alerts and incident reporting assistance.

Local Crime – Sheriff Patrick Withrow described some of efforts that have resulted in a dramatic decrease in San Joaquin County’s agricultural crime. Partnering with the Rural Crime Task Force expands investigations beyond county borders. Similarly, partnering with the FBI leverages investigations into human trafficking for both sexual and labor exploitation beyond the county. A focus on illegal drug operations provides a host of additional benefits to rural land owners related to water theft, prohibited pesticide use, and illegal dumping and environmental clean-up.

Activist Activity – A group of more than 40 animal rights organizations in the U.S. maintain strategic and financial partnerships, with annual expenditures of some $800 million. In the U.S. and abroad, extremists have engaged in blackmail, vandalism, death threats and assault. Processor trucks are being tracked to tie them to recognized restaurant and grocery store brands. The increasingly aggressive tactics by activists were addressed during several panels. The advantage of coordinated outreach by the agricultural community, as demonstrated by the resounding defeat of Measure J in Sonoma County, was also discussed.

Drone Trespass – New FAA regulations, while not a silver bullet, clearly establish some property owner rights, which can be enforced by local law enforcement. See the article above on drone laws. For producers or processors interested in learning more about producer and processor security resources or CDQAP’s partnership with law enforcement, contact Dr. Michael Payne at mpayne@ucdavis.edu.