Legislation

Defra’s public money for public goods scheme could be open to challenge from other countries at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), according to two industry experts.

I have absolutely no objection to high animal welfare standards, but selling them as a magical business opportunity for UK farmers after Brexit is beyond laughable, says Norman Bagley, head of policy at the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS).

Waitrose has vowed never to sell any food which does not meet the UK’s high standards, branding any regression in future trade deals a ‘backwards step’.

The UK Government and devolved administrations have launched a consultation on unfair practices in the dairy sector.

The Environment Agency (EA) is considering a system of environmental permits for the dairy and beef sectors to clamp down on pollution incidents.

Farming Minister Victoria Prentis has told the NFU she is ‘thinking long and hard’ about establishing a Trade and Standards Commission, just two weeks after publicly rejecting the idea at Cereals.

The fight for a Commission to explore ways to protect food production standards in trade policy is continuing in the House of Lords, with a new Agriculture Bill amendment tabled to force the Government’s hand.

While the world is captured by the ravages of Covid 19, the practice of a former political spin doctor to use a ‘crisis to bury bad news’ is as alive as ever.

Defra non-executive director Ben Goldsmith has called for ‘rewilding’ to be renamed ‘wilder farming’ in order to reassure farmers they are central to the movement.

The UK Government has so far shown it does not care about protecting our standards, but Ministers can fix their betrayal of farmers by banning low-standard imports in the Trade Bill, says Deidre Brock, SNP food and rural affairs spokesperson.