Farmers in the driving seat on new trade body

FARMERS’ representatives are to play a major role in advising on trade policies as Britain leaves the EU, adding to hopes that the government will listen to calls to maintain UK standards on quality and animal welfare when assessing food imports.

The Government yesterday announced the make-up of the new Trade and Agriculture Commission. The creation of the body was promised last month by Trade Secretary Liz Truss in the wake of fears that ministers could be tempted to allow in food products that would fail to meet UK standards in return for lucrative trade deals on other products.

Among the concerns were the importation from the United States of chlorine-washed chicken and beef produced with large doses of growth hormones, both banned in Britain. More than one million people signed an NFU petition pressing for UK standards to be maintained.

Retailers, farming unions, consumer, hospitality and environmental bodies from across the UK have now been named as members of the Government’s new Trade and Agriculture

Commission, to be chaired by food safety expert Tim Smith. Mr Smith is a former Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency and Tesco Group Technical Director.

The English, Scottish and Welsh branches of the National Farmers Union (NFU) are all represented, as are the Ulster Farmers Union and the Farmers’ Union of Wales. Other members include the British Retail Council, UK Hospitality, and the Food and Drink Federation.

It will report directly to International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.

The Commission will advise on the trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, while ensuring the sector remains competitive and that animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.

It will also work to advance and protect British consumer interests and those of developing countries.

And it will have a say on how the UK engages the World Trade Organisation to build a coalition that helps advance higher animal welfare standards across the world.

In addition the body will seek to develop trade policy that identifies and opens up new export opportunities for the UK agricultural industry – in particular for smaller food and drink producers.

The announcement was welcome by the National Farmers’ Union, which has been campaigning on this issue since the opening of trade talks in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union.

NFU President Minette Batters, a beef and arable farmer in the South West, described the announcement of the Commission’s make-up as a “hugely important development in our campaign to ensure UK farming’s high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection are not undermined in future trade deals.”

But she warned it was just one part of a much broader challenge facing farmers in ensuring the UK’s trade policy delivers a prosperous and sustainable future for the agriculture industry. And she stressed MPs must be given a greater say in the deals Britain strikes.

She went on: “The independence of the Commission is paramount, as is its accountability to Parliament, and Ministers must set out to MPs how they intend to implement its recommendations.

“The role of the independent Chair will be critical, and we look forward to working with him in the weeks ahead to ensure the Commission meets the expectations and ambitions of all the consumers, campaigners and farmers who have demonstrated over recent months how important this issue is.

“I remain ambitious and optimistic about the future of farming in our country. We produce to some of the highest standards in the world, our unique selling point as we open up markets overseas.

“But it mustn’t become our Achilles heel by forcing farmers to compete with producers who aren’t required to shoulder the same cost burdens.

“We must now make sure that the Commission, our negotiators and our Parliament are all properly equipped to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for UK agriculture.”