Farmers face ‘catastrophic’ choice between competing markets amid pesticide fears

POST-BREXIT trade deals could be “catastrophic” for British farmers by forcing them to choose between domestic and EU markets due to different standards on pesticides, a report has warned.

Trade deals with the United States, Australia and India that allow imports with higher pesticide use would force farmers to choose between lowering their own standards or risk losing trade to the European Union, which has much more stringent controls, said the report from Pesticide Action Network UK and charity Sustain.

The warning comes alongside polling that shows 71 per cent of the British public are concerned that a US trade deal could lead to more pesticide in their food, and want the Government to push back on attempts to overturn bans, even if that means sacrificing the “best” trade deal.

“In an already uncertain economic climate, the lowering of pesticide standards could be catastrophic for UK farming as well as the environment,” Vicki Hird, farm campaign coordinator at Sustain, said. “Sixty per cent of UK agricultural exports currently go to the EU so this could finish off many farming businesses.”

Farming and environmental groups have raised concerns that trade deals could lead to a lowering of welfare standards. More than 800,000 people have signed a petition calling for legal changes to ensure uniform standards on domestic production and imports.

The Government has said it will not undermine environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety in any trade deal with the US. But it is ready to allow the import of food produced to lower standards, with higher tariffs to keep British produce competitive.