What is SVA?

The Agribusiness Security Working Group, as comprised of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), CropLife America (CLA) and The Fertilizer Institute [TFI]) in cooperation with Asmark Institute, has produced a new Web-based tool which will assist agribusiness retailers in conducting a security vulnerability assessment on their retail facility and their transportation practices. This Security Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) is a tool to use to identify and assess potential security threats, risks and vulnerabilities. The SVA tool designed by Asmark Institute, a member of the Agricultural Retailers Association, has granted to ARA the license and use of the Web-based program. ARA in turn has offered to share the SVA with the Agribusiness Security Working Group. Asmark Institute designed the Web-based software to enable retail facilities to conduct a Security Vulnerability Assessment of their facilities and receive recommendations to improve overall security. The program meets the design criteria of the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) for conducting security vulnerability assessments. By meeting CCPS design criteria, this SVA tool meets the same criteria that has been required by federal agencies for other chemical industry facilities. As a result, retailers who use this program to assess facility and Hazmat transportation security can do so with confidence that their assessment is based on sound risk assessment principles.

Leading the Industry:

While federal law for agricultural retail facilities does not currently require a vulnerability assessment, legislation is moving through Congress to do just that. ARA, CLA and TFI have opposed mandatory legislation and are hopeful that the industry can avoid mandatory regulations by voluntarily assessing its risk and increasing security. This tool gives the agricultural retail industry an unprecedented opportunity to take the lead in defining how it will do its part for homeland security and allows the ag retail sector to choose how to work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and define its own security program before the government mandates it.

How do I Participate?

Individual retail facility owners/operators should contact their state associations to receive a username (number) and password in order to log onto the website. Retailers must have the logon information BEFORE attempting to access the SVA at www.aradc.org. Retailers who successfully logon and complete the plan will receive an immediate security risk-level assessment. Within 10 days after submittal of the information, the retailer will receive, by hardcopy, a list of recommended security countermeasures to offset their vulnerabilities along with a copy of their assessment, a certificate of completion, and other related materials. These countermeasures can be used in the creation of facility security and HAZMAT transportation security plans.