News • Good Food Trade Campaign
Bad trade deals would be ‘biggest peacetime threat’ to UK food security
An inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Agroecology for Food and Farming shows an overriding concern that food security, environmental protection and welfare standards may be significantly weakened by Brexit.
Ahead of the Second Reading of the Trade Bill, the cross-party group of MPs and peers have released their summary of an inquiry into trade post-Brexit.
The APPG Chair, Kerry McCarthy MP for Bristol, is seriously concerned by the importance of these trade talks: “if negotiators don’t value farmers enough and build poorly managed trade deals that reflect this – particularly a US-UK deal – it could trigger a race to the bottom in terms of standards and ability of our own farmers to compete. The APPG is determined that this sector should not become a bargaining chip or something that can easily be traded.”
The inquiry heard from a range of experts including Vicki Hird, Sustain’s Sustainable Farm Campaign Coordinator:
"This briefing echoes our concerns about future trade deals and why parliamentarians need to scrutinise and veto harmful deals. The APPG had the foresight to start looking at trade and food issues early - getting expert witnesses to grill and debating the very real threats for healthy, safe and sustainable food and farming from unfettered trade deals. All MPs now need to get interested and involved.”
The MPs debate of the Second Reading of the Trade Bill is from 2.30pm on Tuesday 9th January.
Published Tuesday 9 January 2018
Good Food Trade Campaign: Campaigning for good trade that benefits people and the planet at home and overseas.
