This is an article by Michael Sharon and Randy Treadwell, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, March 19, 2025.
The agricultural supply chain’s global interdependency introduces considerable vulnerability. The failure or weakening of even one of the supply chain links has cascading effects.
Learn how awareness of potential catastrophe across sectors is crucial to emergency preparedness.
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Michael Sharon
Michael Sharon, MPA, is the chief of the Emergency Programs Division at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Homeland Security. His extensive emergency management career includes positions at FEMA, the U.S. Department of State, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect official policy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Randy Treadwell
Randy Treadwell, MPH, is the former associate executive director for programs at the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Prior to his role with AFDO, Randy served as the rapid response and emergency management program manager for the Washington State Department of Agriculture where he led multi-agency and multi-sector partners in agricultural and food/feed related emergency responses and contingency planning. (The views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect official policy of AFDO or the Washington State Department of Agriculture.)
