News • Good Food Trade Campaign
Trade Secretary announces new Trade and Agriculture Commission
Trade Secretary Liz Truss today wrote to the head of the NFU agreeing (in principle) to a new Trade and Agriculture Commission. In her letter she recognised the importance of engaging with industry and enabling a clear ‘roadmap’ to help “inform agricultural trade policy and apply appropriate safeguards in UK free trade deals.”
However, we at Sustain are concerned that the Trade Secretary only references food safety and animal welfare, seemingly ignoring wider consumer concerns about food standards.
Vicki Hird, Head of Food and Farming Policy at Sustain said:
"It is welcome that the Trade Secretary has today acknowledged that future trade deals need to be fair for our farmers and consumers. However, we note that she has only agreed to a Trade and Agriculture Commission in principle, that it would be time limited and that its recommendations would be advisory only. Such a weak and short term approach leaves so many cracks through which our food standards could slip.
"We are concerned too that Liz Truss only refers to food safety and animal welfare standards, seemingly ignoring wider concerns such as the overuse of antibiotics and pesticides and environmental standards to protect wildlife, soil and water."
Meanwhile the Which? campaign to save food standards continues to gather support and signatures. You can sign here.
You can read the full text of Liz Truss’ letter here
Published 29 Jun 2020
Good Food Trade Campaign: Campaigning for good trade that benefits people and the planet at home and overseas.
