The UK will not import food that undermines domestic production standards as part of post-Brexit trade deals, a senior figure in the UK government has said.

“We will use a combination of ways to ensure that any food coming into this country meets standards which are as good as our own,” Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers said at the Oxford Farming Conference on Wednesday.

The Tory MP spoke of imposing tariffs and using food safety legislation to stop imports that undermine UK farmers.

“There are a range of ways in which we can ensure that we defend our high standards of animal welfare, food safety and the environment,” Villiers maintained.

No confidence

However farmers, as well as animal welfare and environmental campaigners who were protesting outside the event, were sceptical of the Defra Secretary’s commitment.

As part of a straw poll at the Oxford conference, no one raised their hand when asked if they thought the government would protect farmers interests in future trade negotiations.

There are a range of ways in which we can ensure that we defend our high standards of animal welfare, food safety and the environment

Supervising talks

The National Farmers’ Union wants a body set up to scrutinise the trade negotiations that will take place once the UK leaves the EU at the end of January.

“I will take your message back to my colleagues in government, as we decide whether a trade council needs to be set up,” Villiers said.

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