UK food traditions to lose EU support

BUILTH WELLS, Wales — Welsh farmers like Rees Roberts, who has 1,000 acres with sheep, cattle and crops, can expect to earn a premium on their meats thanks to a certificate of regional authenticity.

But that marker of distinction — the same kind that ensures Champagne can only come from the French region of the same name — is granted by the European Union and is now at risk after Britain voted to leave the 28-country bloc.

The certificates, of which there are 73 across Britain for goods like Stilton cheese and Melton Mowbray pork pies, not only help farmers earn more but also shape rural communities’ identities. Add to that the loss of $3.97 billion in EU subsidies for UK farmers, potential new tariffs and fears that agriculture will not be prioritized in trade talks with the EU, and the decision to leave the 28-nation bloc promises to be painful.

“The voters weren’t thinking it through,” said Roberts, 65, as he discussed the uncertainty with fellow farmers at a fair in the village of Builth Wells.

For Welsh farmers, EU membership cushioned against tough times. Sheep flocks have fallen in size by 20 percent since a 1999 peak, while farmers’ real annual average incomes have tumbled nearly a third since 2003 to 22,500 pounds, or $29,250, according to government figures. The potential loss of preferential trade with Europe has left Wales rushing to export its lamb and beef to the United States, with the government submitting a 1,000-page proposal to the US Agriculture Department last month ahead of upcoming trade talks in April.

The move was driven in part by concerns that negotiations over the next two years on Britain departing the EU will prioritize London banking jobs, while downplaying the needs of those in the hinterlands without the posh salaries.

“There are many concerns of how influential agriculture will be in these negotiations, both in terms of trade and direct financial support when compared to the powerful sectors such as financial services,” said Dai Davies, chairman of the Welsh meat promoter Hybu Cig Cymru.

Davies was at the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells — among the largest agricultural fairs in Europe — to listen to farmers’ concerns and answer their questions. A sense of seriousness and urgency dominated the mood, despite the sheep shearing contests, food stalls and a folk rendition of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

Even though Wales is a net beneficiary of EU support, it voted to leave the EU by 53 percent to 47 percent, a fact that reflects the complexities of global trade.

Many people in rural Britain, including Wales, are against the EU because the open borders required by membership challenges their sense of national identity. In some voters’ minds, globalization is synonymous with regulations, immigrants and the loss of jobs to low-cost countries in Eastern Europe or China. Those emotions come even though the union also has carved out markets for goods linked to Britain’s heritage.

Listening to Davies was Roberts, who said he worries that the terms of foreign trade will change, causing him to lose some access to the EU’s 508 million residents.

He hopes that the UK will settle on a new trade agreement with the EU similar to Norway’s. That would give them access to the EU’s single market but require the UK to keep receiving EU migrants, something many of those voting to leave are against. Some UK farmers do depend on migrant labor to pick their produce.

“Accepting the migrants wouldn’t be a problem for me,” said Roberts.

Next to him was John Foulkes, who has a flock of 3,000 and estimates that the protected geographical indicator for Welsh meat adds a 2.6 percent premium to the 80-pound ($104) price he charges for a typical lamb. (AP)