Public support for our farmers rockets to an all-time high
SUPPORT for British farmers has soared to a record high as a result of their efforts to keep the nation fed during the pandemic.
A new survey reveals that 75 per cent of Britons have a positive view of the farming industry – the highest figure since the Farmer Favourability Survey began in 2012.
There has been a six-point leap since last year, with the majority of those questioned citing farmers’ work over the past four months as the reason for their approval.
Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said: ‘Like the rest of the nation, our farmers have had a challenging year and it’s fantastic to see the British public has recognised the efforts of growers and producers in keeping us fed. As farmers, we must continue to show the public how much the UK farming sector delivers for the nation, the economy and the environment. Their support is going to be invaluable in the months and years ahead.’
The results of the survey, conducted by OnePoll, comes as the Government’s controversial Agriculture Bill returns to the House of Lords this week and MPs tomorrow debate a proposed Trade Bill covering the UK’s post-Brexit trade deals. There are concerns the legislation could endanger the £120 billion industry, with campaigners warning that animal welfare, food safety and environmental protection standards will be at risk if safeguards are not enshrined in law.
The Mail on Sunday has launched the Save Our Family Farms campaign to keep cheap, sub-standard US food off our supermarket shelves in the event of a trade deal between Britain and America.
More than a million people have signed an NFU petition urging the Government to ensure that future agreements do not lead to food imports that would be illegal to produce here, such as chlorinated chicken or hormone-fed beef.
Ms Batters said: ‘This has sent a strong signal to Westminster on how highly British people value quality, s ustainably produced British food.’
OnePoll surveyed 2,000 adults in England and Wales, with 86 per cent agreeing that British farms should grow as much food as they can to provide national food security. The industry, which employs more than four million people in the UK, is regarded by 89 per cent of the public as being ‘fairly or very important’ to the economy.
Some 77 per cent believe farmers should continue to receive financial support post-Brexit – a nine-point increase on the figure in 2017. The
Government insists it will safeguard the quality of food on shelves and the farming industry.
Under pressure, Liz Truss, the International Trade Secretary, last month announced a new Trade and Agriculture Commission to scrutinise and make recommendations on future trade deals.
She has previously pledged: ‘ When it comes to food, we will never lower our standards in order to sign a trade deal.’
However, Tory critics and environmental campaigners are demanding greater controls over how the Government agrees to post-Brexit trade deals. In tomorrow’s Trade Bill debate, Tory MP Jonathan Djanogly will seek to add an amendment to ‘give MPs a debate and vote on trade deals before and after negotiations’.
Friends of the Earth trade campaigner Kierra Box also insisted Ministers must give ‘people and our MPs… a strong voice’ on trade talks.
Last night, Tory MP George Freeman, who is backing Mr Djanogly’s amendment, insisted the Government must not give access to cheap food products from the US and other countries that do not have ‘decent animal welfare or environmental standards’.
He said: ‘The risks of getting this wrong are huge. Our UK farm and food sector can never compete with overseas producers with lower standards. Do we really want to open up our food chain to a flood of cheap meat and processed food with no idea of where it’s come from or what’s in it? For UK farming, that would be the equivalent of the closure of our shipbuilding and steel industries in the 1980s.’