The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Food standards petition signed by more than 1m
TRADE: Action was launched to change legislation as fears grow of food imports being produced and permitted using methods illegal in this country
More than a million people have backed a petition calling on Westminster to legislate to prevent food that doesn’t meet UK standards being imported in future trade deals.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) south of the border launched the petition as fears grow that UK farmers will face competition from food produced by methods that would be illegal in this country, such as the use of hormone implants in cattle.
Last month a proposed amendment to the UK’S Agriculture Bill, which would have guaranteed equivalent standards, was defeated in the House of Commons. NFU president Minette Batters said the widespread support for the petition was a clear signal of how passionately the public feels about the issue.
She added: “It is now clear that it is simply not credible for the government to continue to just pay lip service to this issue, when there is such public support for action.
“They must now give guarantees to the British people that they have listened to their concerns and will make firm commitments to address them.”
Meanwhile the farmers’ unions are calling for an independent trade, food and farming commission to review trade policy to ensure all food imports are held to the standards that are expected of British producers.
Ms Batters said: “Trade policy is complicated, but what the public are telling us is quite simple. They care deeply about their food, where it comes from and how it is produced.
“They do not want to see chlorinated chicken or hormone-fed beef on their supermarket shelves and nor do they want to see food imported which has been produced in lower welfare or environmental systems than is legally allowed in this country.”
However, Environment Secretary George Eustice told the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) that the government would protect food and welfare standards in trade deals.
He said: “Our manifesto commitment is very clear about protecting food standards and animal welfare standards through trade deals and there are wellestablished mechanisms that would enable us to do that.”
NFU Scotland said the success of the petition gave politicians a “crystal clear” message on how the nation feels about the potential pitfalls of a poor trade deal.