What does APHIS mean in NASA

What does APHIS mean?

APHIS stands for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a unit of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is responsible for protecting agriculture, natural resources, food safety, public health, and trade from regulated pests and diseases. It oversees the importation of animals and plants as well as ongoing control efforts aimed at eliminating serious threats to animal or plant health in this country. Specifically, APHIS is dedicated to science-based rules that support agricultural production, protect our nation’s natural resources from invasive species, detect emerging problems early on through inspections or surveys of imported plants or animals, respond quickly if an emergency does occur by providing risk management guidance as well as technical assistance. Furthermore, it enforces regulations around humane treatment of animals used in research facilities or circuses.

What is APHIS's purpose?

The primary mission of APHIS is to protect agricultural crops from harm caused by pests or diseases that may be introduced into this country either directly through imported goods or indirectly through other nearby countries where such pests are present naturally. As part of its larger mission to guarantee food safety in the US while simultaneously promoting sustainable agriculture practices abroad, it works closely with state governments to conduct inspections on farms to detect any potential hazards before it becomes a hazard domestically. In addition to this core activity, the agency also performs regulatory enforcement actions related things like animal welfare standards at circuses or livestock auctions; usage of pesticides that could prove hazardous to human health; preventing illegal trade involving endangered animals; and monitoring veterinary biologics like vaccines manufactured overseas that are used domestically in veterinary institutions or on farms here in the US.