On Back British Farming Day NFU leader urges MPs to ensure Parliament has final say on trade deals to protect UK food standards

Senior officials at the NFU are making the call as they mark the organisation’s Back British Farming Day today to help bring more clarity for the farming sector amid the grave uncertainty over the Brexit transition period.

With the Trade Bill being debated in the House of Lords this week, the NFU is calling for peers to amend the proposed legislation so that Parliament will be given the final say on whether to ratify new trade agreements.

The NFU’s president, Minette Batters, said: “Today is Back British Farming day and we want to celebrate why the British public has complete trust in British food and the farmers that produce it.

“Our farm to fork approach to traceability, how we look after our animals and our environment, and how we lead the way in reducing antibiotic usage are all the envy of the world and yet they are in jeopardy if they are undermined by future trade deals.

“We are at a pivotal time for the future of farming and the food on our plates,” added Mrs Batters.

“Nothing will determine this more than how the Government shapes trade deals with countries around the world.”

There is currently no requirement for Parliament to debate trade deals before they are signed into law, and safeguards to allow MPs to reject such trade deals are limited.

“There is no doubt that the countries we are currently negotiating with are demanding access to our prized market for their agriculture products and, right now, a trade agreement could be signed with little parliamentary scrutiny,” Mrs Batters said.

She also warned that the consequence of this could be a “massive” increase in the amount of food being imported that is produced in ways that would be illegal in this country.

The NFU is calling for independent advice about the impact every trade deal will have on our food and farming standards issued to Parliament before it decides whether to accept or reject those trade deals.

In July, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced the Government would be forming an independent Trade and Agriculture Commission.

This amendment to the Agriculture Bill was put forward to the Lords and is likely to be debated next week.

Mrs Batters said the NFU is urging peers to vote in favour of the commission to provide greater scrutiny as the UK continues to hold talks with nations to secure trade deals.

She added: “Politicians have time and again stated that they will not allow a flood of cheap imports to happen.

“There is now a clear solution on the table that will allow Parliament to be kept fully informed of the impacts any trade deal will have on the food we all consume.

“Time is running out. Action has to be taken now, or all the warm words will be for nothing. I would urge all politicians to use today to think about these values, and what we have to lose.”

The NFU has also released a new report, British Farming: Setting the Standard, highlighting the work of the UK’s farmers.

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