Following the Government's EU reset and proposals for a comprehensive Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement between the UK and EU, this webinar was hosted by Farmers Guardian in partnership with CropLife UK, and looked at the impact of an agreement and what it means for the agricultural sectors.
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Expert panel:
Ed Barker, AIC
Ed Barker is head of policy and external affairs at the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), joining in 2020. The AIC represents agri-supply businesses in the UK, covering five sectors: seed, arable marketing, animal feed, fertilisers, and crop protection whilst running a number of trade assurance schemes. In this role, he leads on policy and overseeing the AIC's UK government affairs activity.
AIC is represented by four European Trade Associations, COCERAL, FEFAC, Euroseeds and EFBA. Ed is a Board Member of COCERAL, the European association representing the trade in cereals, oilseeds, pulses, and agro-suppl.
Before joining AIC, Ed was Senior Policy Advisor at the National Pig Association, where he led on government affairs, innovation, and trade policy. He has also been in farm management roles, and started his career in the UK House of Commons. Ed is also a partner in 510 Ha arable family farming business in Suffolk.
John Clarke
John Clarke was until recently a director for international trade at the European Commission in Brussels, and is a former Head of the EU Delegation to the World Trade Organisation. He is now a Fellow of Maastricht University, a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, and a member of the British Trade and Business Commission, among numerous other things. He has thirty five years experience as a trade negotiator including agriculture. The British Trade and Business Commission develops recommendations to the UK government on means to improve trade relations with the EU.
Dave Bench, CropLife UK
Dave Bench is the CEO of CropLife UK, the voice of the UK plant science industry. As Chief Executive, has overall responsibility for all CropLife UK activities promoting the essential role of science and innovation in protecting food, parks, gardens, roads and railways; and advocating good stewardship, better regulation and best practice.
Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrats
Alistair Carmichael is chair of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs Committee, and Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland.
Webinar sponsored by CropLifeUK
CropLife UK is the voice of the UK crop solutions industry. Promoting the essential role of science and innovation in protecting food, parks, gardens, roads and railways. Advocating good stewardship, better regulation and best practice. Visit their website to find out more.
