Oregon Dept. of Agriculture- What are Secure Food Supply (SFS) Plans? December 22, 2025

[Commonground]

Secure Food Supply (SFS) plans are voluntary plans aimed at helping livestock and poultry producers prepare for a potential foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak. Guidance from SFS plans is dual-purpose during an FAD outbreak:

1. To enhance on-farm biosecurity so that animals and animal products are less likely to become infected or contaminated.
2. To help maintain business continuity and a continuous, safe supply of food — by enabling animal and animal-product movement (under permit) for those operations that meet certain criteria.

Simply put: by preparing ahead of time, producers have a better chance of being able to safely move animals and animal products during a disease crisis, helping to avoid a complete stop in production.

Why are SFS Plans Important for Oregon?

• Oregon has a significant agricultural sector with livestock of many species. An FAD outbreak would pose major threats to this sector, both economically and in terms of animal health.
• SFS plans can help reduce the potential losses from an outbreak by preventing disease spread, enabling safer movement under controlled conditions, and supporting business continuity.
• The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) uses SFS plans, and the Oregon SFS Program, to promote and standardize enhanced biosecurity practices among livestock producers statewide.
• Such preparedness also ties into broader food-system resilience: keeping livestock and animal product supply chains operational helps maintain food availability for people and markets.

How Does the Oregon SFS Program Work?


Here are the main components of the program:

1. Commodity-Specific Plans

SFS plans are commodity specific. That means, there are tailored plans for different animal/product sectors: beef cattle, dairy (milk), pork (swine), poultry (broilers/eggs/turkey), and sheep & wool. These plans reflect the differing risks, movement practices, and biosecurity needs of each sector.

2. Site-Specific Biosecurity Plans

Producers will need to develop site-specific, written biosecurity plans to enroll their premises in the Oregon SFS Program. The ODA website provides links to self-assessment checklists and plan templates for different commodities to assist in this process.

3. Enrollment & Participation

If a producer wishes to participate in the Oregon SFS program, the steps include:

• Obtaining a Premises Identification Number (PIN) for each location/premises.
• Developing (or updating) your written, biosecurity plan to ensure it addresses appropriate commodity-specific SFS plan guidance for your operation.
• Submitting an enrollment form to ODA and either:
  • (a) Have ODA or a licensed accredited veterinarian complete a biosecurity audit and submit the self-assessment checklist, or
  • (b) Submit your written biosecurity plan along with the enrollment form for ODA review.

4. Permitted Movement During an Outbreak

In the event of an FAD outbreak, animal and animal product movement will likely be restricted to reduce disease spread. Operations that have met SFS criteria are more likely to qualify for movement permits. That means animals or animal products may be moved (with approval of ODA) rather than being forced to stay at the farm, which helps maintain business continuity.

What Producers Should Know / Best Practices

• Start early: Because this is a preparedness program, developing and enrolling your biosecurity plan before an outbreak is far more effective.
• Tailor to your commodity: Use the plan relevant to your production (beef vs dairy vs pigs vs poultry).
• Work with your veterinarian and/or ask ODA Animal Health Program for assistance: They can help assess your risks, develop the written plan, and/or perform a biosecurity audit.
• Maintain documentation: Your biosecurity plan must be written and available for review. Good record-keeping will support movement permit eligibility.
• Understand movement rules: Even with SFS enrollment, during an FAD outbreak, movement will be regulated; SFS participation gives the best opportunity for approved movement but doesn’t guarantee eligibility for movement.
• Continuous review: Biosecurity isn’t “set and forget.” Periodic review/update is wise.
• Communicate with ODA: Keep up with any updates in the SFS program or commodity-specific requirements.
• Think about cost-benefit: While the program is voluntary, the benefits in a disease outbreak (reduced downtime, maintained markets) can be substantial.

Limitations / Things to Consider

• Following SFS guidance does not eliminate risk; it reduces risk and provides a framework for business continuity, but diseases still might impact operations despite best efforts.
• Movement permits during an outbreak will likely come with conditions (testing, certification, biosecurity measures) — SFS-enrollment helps but doesn’t remove all additional requirements.
• Preparedness requires investment of time and possibly resources (biosecurity upgrades, vet consultations, paperwork) and some benefits are “avoided losses” rather than immediate cost savings.
• Producers should think of SFS plans as part of a broader risk-management strategy (which may also include insurance, contract terms, market diversification).

Why SFS Plans Matter to the Broader Food Supply in Oregon


Healthy animal production sectors contribute to Oregon’s food security, economic stability, rural employment, and market strength. By having a program like the SFS in place, Oregon can strengthen its resilience to disruptive events (disease outbreaks, supply chain interruptions). While often invisible in “normal times,” underlying preparedness efforts pay off when crises strike.

Get More Info: ODA | Secure Food Supply (SFS) Program

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¿Qué son los Planes de Suministro Seguro de Alimentos (SFS)?

​continued: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODA/Posts/Post/what-are-secure-food-supply-plans