A committee of Members of the United Kingdom’s Parliament (MPs) is seeking assurances on food standards after Brexit.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee put forward an amendment regarding trade deals and food standards to a major piece of legislation.
The Agriculture Bill was introduced in the House of Commons in September and examines what is needed in the agricultural industry after the UK’s exit from the European Union in March 2019 – also known as Brexit. Members of the House of Commons are elected and it is the main place for law making. The Committee called on the government to “put its money where its mouth is” and accept the amendment. It states that food imported as part of any future trade deal should meet or exceed British standards relating to production, animal welfare and the environment.
As part of the inquiry into the Agriculture Bill, the Committee heard from Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and George Eustice, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Seventy-five items of written evidence were also analyzed from groups including the UK Pesticides Campaign, British Egg Industry Council, Dairy UK, The Food Foundation, National Farmers’ Union, National Pig Association, Sustain, British Poultry Council and the Soil Association.
Conservative MP Neil Parish, chair of the cross-party committee, said the UK has exceptionally high environmental and food standards and an internationally recognized approach to animal welfare: “This legacy cannot be ripped apart by the introduction of cheap, low-quality goods following our exit from the European Union. Imports produced to lower standards than ours pose a very real threat to UK agriculture. Without sufficient safeguards we could see British farmers significantly undermined while turning a blind eye to environmental degradation and poor animal welfare standards abroad.”
Source: foodsafetynews.com
