The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is a multi-faceted Agency with a broad mission area that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities.  These efforts support the overall mission of USDA, which is to protect and promote food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues.

To protect agricultural health, APHIS is on the job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week working to defend America’s animal and plant resources from agricultural pests and diseases.  For example, if the Mediterranean fruit fly and Asian longhorned beetle, two major agricultural pests, were left unchecked, they would result in several billions of dollars in production and marketing losses annually.  Similarly, if foot-and-mouth disease or highly pathogenic avian influenza were to become established in the United States, foreign trading partners could invoke trade restrictions and producers would suffer devastating losses.   

In the event that a pest or disease of concern is detected, APHIS implements emergency protocols and partners with affected States to quickly manage or eradicate the outbreak.  This aggressive approach has enabled APHIS to successfully prevent and respond to potential pest and disease threats to U.S. agriculture.

To promote the health of U.S. agriculture in the international trade arena, APHIS develops and advances science-based standards with trading partners to ensure America’s agricultural exports, worth more than $50 billion annually, are protected from unjustified restrictions.

In response to needs expressed by the American people and Congress, APHIS’ mission has expanded over the years to include such issues as wildlife damage and disease management; regulation of genetically engineered crops and animal welfare; and protection of public health and safety as well as natural resources that are vulnerable to invasive pests and pathogens.  While carrying out its diverse protection responsibilities, APHIS makes every effort to address the needs of all stakeholders involved in the U.S. agricultural sector.

Mission

To protect the health and value of American agriculture and natural resources.

Strategic Plan

The APHIS Strategic Plan outlines the goals, objectives, and performance measures that set the direction of APHIS’ work. By keeping this plan in mind as work is done and decisions are made, APHIS can be certain to carry out its mission.

ref: Aphis - About Aphis

APHIS aims to protect American animals, plants, and the agricultural industry by offering:

• Protection from invasive non-native plants, animals, insects, and diseases
• Monitoring and management of existing agricultural pests and diseases
• Resolution and management of trade issues related to animal or plant health
• Prevention or cessation of the inhumane treatment (of animals)

The threats and challenges within APHIS' scope include:

• Non-compliant biotech events
• Invasive species
• Agricultural animal/plant health threats
• Agricultural bioterrorism
• SPS trade barriers
• Wildlife conflicts and diseases
• Zoonoticdiseases
• Animal welfareissues

APHIS aims to protect ecosystems, natural resources, agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural exports, consumer health and safety, and animal welfare from the above threats. (APHIS website, 2003)

New challenges for APHIS include bioterrorism (Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Act (2002)), BSE and Avian Influenza (AI). APHIS is responsible for the administration of the USDA's controversial National Animal Identification System and the Wildlife Services Program.

APHIS has a budget of approximately $800 million annually and employs about 7,000 people, about 5,000 of which are deployed as inspectors at ports, borders and on farms.

In 2003, many APHIS agricultural inspectors were transferred to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a unit of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

APHIS is the primary agency responsible for responding to animal and plant disease(s)and pest emergencies but also raises the expectation that we will help in responding to other emergencies as set forth by the National Response Plan (NRP) completed in 2005 (APHIS Strategic Plan 2003-2008).

ref: Wikipedia - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service