Silent Wars: Agro-Terrorism’s Global Threat

India has long faced the spectre of agro-terrorism, with Pakistan accused of deploying biological weapons against its agriculture. Recent reports suggest cross-border infiltration of pests and pathogens, targeting crops to destabilise food security. Agro-terrorism, the deliberate use of biological agents to harm agriculture, is not new. Historically, during World War II, Britain allegedly dropped potato beetles over German fields. Today, India’s struggle with invasive species like Lantana camara, a toxic shrub introduced during colonial times, mirrors the silent devastation of agro-terrorism. The plant, originally ornamental, now chokes native ecosystems, costing billions in eradication efforts.

The U.S. recently accused China of agro-terrorism after FBI arrests revealed Chinese researchers smuggling harmful fungi into America. The targeted pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, threatens wheat crops, risking food supply chains. This aligns with a pattern: China has been linked to similar activities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, where genetically modified seeds and pests allegedly compromised local agriculture. Such tactics blur the line between ecological sabotage and economic warfare, as agricultural collapse triggers inflation, unemployment, and social unrest.

India remains vulnerable. Beyond Lantana, invasive species like Parthenium (congress grass) and water hyacinth have devastated farmland and water bodies. These “botanical invaders” often arrive covertly, their origins murky but their impact catastrophic. The 2020 locust swarms in Rajasthan, suspected to originate from Pakistan, underscored how agro-terrorism can exploit natural vectors. Deliberate pest introductions—whether insects, fungi, or weeds—can cripple economies without a single bullet fired.

Warfare has long scarred agriculture beyond direct attacks. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. sprayed Agent Orange to strip forest cover, exposing rebels but leaving farmlands toxic for generations. Similarly, if India restricts Indus waters under the 1960 treaty, Pakistan’s agriculture, dependent on the river, could collapse, showcasing how resource warfare mimics agro-terrorism. Active conflict zones paralyse farming altogether. Vietnam’s fields remain mined decades later, and Ukraine, once Europe’s breadbasket, now sees fertile land trenched or abandoned amid Russian strikes. Fear of collateral deaths keeps farmers from tending crops, turning food scarcity into a weapon. Whether through chemicals, water blockades, or bombs, war doesn’t just destroy harvests—it mutilates the very soil they grow in.

The U.S.-China case highlights the need for global biosecurity frameworks. Unlike nuclear threats, agro-terrorism leaves no immediate trace, complicating attribution. India must invest in surveillance, rapid response teams, and genetic sequencing to trace outbreaks. Strengthening the Plant Quarantine Order, 2003 and collaborating with agencies like the FAO could mitigate risks.

Agro-terrorism is war by other means. From Lantana’s stranglehold to China’s alleged fungal smuggling, the battlefield is shifting—from trenches to fields, from soldiers to farmers. For India, the lesson is clear: food security is national security.