Brexit: and lobbying the parliamentary committee asking for evidence on the impact on UK food and farming

A post-Brexit trading deal with the United States promises all-sorts:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and importing beef from cattle implanted with growth hormones, chlorine-washed chicken, and unlabelled genetically modified (GM) foods.

Especially following the visit of the Trade Minister:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and Fox eating chlorinated chicken

Some fear the impact on the health of small UK farms:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and completing with industrial agriculture

Others fear the impact on health in general - with a petition from campaign group 38 Degrees:

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Chlorine-washed chicken and beef fed with hormones could be heading to our fridges. As you read this, the government is working out their plans for trade deals after Brexit, and one thing on the menu is lower food safety standards.[1] There is a serious risk that the government could be pressured into lowering food standards in order to get a deal with countries like the USA. [2] Right now a powerful committee of MPs are looking at how trade deals could impact our food safety after Brexit, but the deadline to feed in is this week. [3] Experts, lobbyists and politicians are having their say. But what’s missing is our voice. If we can build a huge petition, we can make sure trade deals don’t have a negative impact on the quality, safety and price of our weekly shop. We’ll hand the petition straight to this group of MPs and make sure they can’t ignore our voices. Since the UK voted to leave the EU, thousands of 38 Degrees members have come together to decide what new trade deals should look like. [4] Whether you voted leave or remain, 38 Degrees-ers want to make sure Brexit works for all of us. We all agree on protecting our consumer rights, making sure our food is good quality and the price of our weekly shop doesn’t go up. Trade deals can seem a bit abstract, but there isn’t anything as real as the food you eat or your weekly shopping bill. Government committees like this one are used to hearing from experts and lobbyists, so imagine how they'll feel when the signatures of tens of thousands of ordinary people land on their desk. If we can build a huge petition, it’ll drown out big business and their lobbyists. NOTES: [1] The Telegraph: Concerns over chlorine-washed chicken could delay US trade deal, says Michael Gove: The Guardian: Media is 'obsessed' with chlorine washed chicken says Liam Fox: [2] See note [1] [3] UK Parliament: Brexit: Trade In Food Enquiry: [4] 38 Degrees: 38 Degrees members response to the UK-US trade relations inquiry:

Home - 38 Degrees

Here is the Parliamentary Inquiry:
Brexit: Trade in food inquiry - UK Parliament

The Committee invites interested parties to submit written evidence by 20 October 2017:

Brexit: Trade in food inquiry launched

14 September 2017

The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee invites evidence on the impact on the UK food and farming sectors of potential new trading arrangements with the EU after Brexit.

• Inquiry: Brexit: Trade in food
• Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee

The Committee wishes to examine how a potential trade deal could affect farmers, food processors and consumers.

UK goods and services can currently move freely between countries in the EU's single market. The EU's customs union also imposes standard tariffs on products traded into the UK from non-EU countries. A new framework for trading food and agricultural products across European borders will present new opportunities and challenges for the UK's agri-food sector.

Chair's comments

Neil Parish MP, Chair of the Committee, said:

"The food and farming sector is a key part of the UK economy, contributing some £108 billion annually and employing around 3.9 million people. The country's half a million farmers produce 60% of the food eaten in the UK and manage some 70% of the land area.

It is vital that future trade arrangements allow farmers and food processors to compete effectively. We welcome views on the steps that the Government and agri-food sector need to take to enable farmers and processors to sell more of their produce at home and abroad. We also want to hear views on how trade policies can best allow UK consumers access to affordable, good quality food after Brexit."

Scope of the inquiry

The Committee invites interested parties to submit written evidence by 20 October 2017 on:

1. What challenges and opportunities will the UK food and farming sectors face from new trade arrangements with EU countries after the UK leaves the European Union?
2. What trade policy objectives should Defra/ the UK Government establish in order to achieve the right balance between the interests of food consumers, producers and processors, and the environment?
3. How effective are the Government's arrangements for consulting the food and farming sector and for representing their interests within the UK’s negotiations with the EU?
4. How effective are the Government's arrangements for representing the interests of the four nations within the UK's negotiations for trade in food? 
5. What can farmers, food producers and processors, and government do to prepare for changes to trading arrangements, including to improve production and to reduce trading costs?

The Committee will look at specific agricultural sectors in-depth: evidence which refers to the experiences of the sheep and lamb, beef, dairy, pork, poultry, horticultural and cereals industry are particularly welcome.  An initial examination of the sheep production and processing sector is planned for the autumn.

Please note: The Committee is not specifically addressing labour impacts of Brexit as a short report published by Efra in the last Parliament covered these issues.

Brexit: Trade in food inquiry launched - News from Parliament - UK Parliament
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