The UK parliament voted this week to exclude the amendments on animal welfare and maintenance of EU food standards in the Agriculture bill. These had been supported by 1m signatories in a petition organised by the National Farmers Union (NFU) and were supported by several campaigners, including celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

There was a small rebellion among Conservative party MPs, who spoke passionately about British farming, including Neil Parish MP, chair of the parliament’s environment, food and rural affairs committee. He spoke about how UK pig farmers lost out several years ago, when UK legislation removed stalls and tethers for sows ahead of EU legislation, and how that decimated the pig industry.

The UK government position has been that they are committed to no reduction in standards

“If we do not get the trade considerations right, we will trade away all our food production, like we have already,” he said. He also identified Brazil as a possible future partner for trade and attacked their farming practices, referring to the burning of 2.5m acres of forest this year.

The UK government position has been that they are committed to no reduction in standards, but maintain that putting these standards in legislation would constrain negotiating flexibility with potential trade partners outside the EU. The UK have recently concluded a trade deal in principle with Japan, who are importers of agricultural produce, not exporters. Negotiations are also underway with Australia, New Zealand and the US, all of which are major exporters of beef and sheepmeat – in the case of Australia and New Zealand – and poultry and pigmeat in the case of the US.

The bottom line quote

Why are we not a great beacon of animal welfare and the environment as we negotiate these trade deals?..... Would it not be right to have the armour of Parliament’s backing to say, “I can’t negotiate away that particular part of the deal with you because it is written down in law”?

– Neil Parish MP, speaking on the Agriculture Bill in UK Parliament