Amendment to stop food imports of lower standards lost May 13

Risk Averse FSA and foot dragging by Defra not delivering on Brexit promises. "Easing the regulatory burden on farming businesses was a key Brexit manifesto pledge set out by the Conservative Government, but the National Sheep Association (NSA) said it had failed to follow through on key issues such as splitting sheep carcases, worth £24m year. "

The Times reported that the PM’s adviser Dominic Cummings has told MPs to vote down the amendments. If they do so, it will be a victory for international trade secretary Liz Truss, who is seeking to strike a series of rapid trade deals with countries like the US and Australia.

Lords Amendments include ensuring standards of imported foods same as ours, and to add to the National Food Strategy: "increase sustainability of food production, support food production and consumption, and improve dietary health and reduce obesity,

Back in the Lords 2 amendments passed - the food import standards and an obligation on the Secretary of State to consult Parliament on the detail of every trade deal the UK negotiates. Ping

The Commons voted (Oct 12) to disagree with the Lords (Amendment 16) by over 50 votes. Thus was carried one of the most significant votes in UK history regarding its farming and rural landscape.

Subsidies

Pressure grows on DEFRA to help farmers switch from BPS "amid fears that thousands of farming families could be driven out of business. " Much more on subsidies

Henry VIII powers

We warned of these sorts of powers - whereby the Minister can introduce laws, without going through parliament. They are called Statutory Instruments. There are 40 in this Bill, including one going beyond current EU rules to classify new products as agricultural. (significance?)


This bill - in its initial form - gave ministers a Henry VIII power to change the law for the marketing of food including what is on the label. "So if Waitrose followed what it said it will do and clearly label chlorinated chicken a government minister could just change the law by decree making it illegal to do so. If Waitrose disobeyed they could face unlimited fines." The revised bill – now going through the Commons – removed the power for ministers to create new imprisonable offences but kept the unlimited fines!

Is this how the quota for allowing imports over 250 tons of raw sugar into the country without tax, came in?

Sustainable Food Trust

In a press release published Wednesday May 13, highlighted significant deficiencies in the Bill, its failure to feature food and farming in any meaningful way and it's lack of commitment to agroecological practices and food security. We joined a historic coalition between farming, environmental and animal welfare organisations, convened by the NFU, to call on MPs to ensure vital safeguards for UK farmers were included in the Bill (see above).

Unfortunately, these and other amendments were voted down during the Bill's Third Reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday, putting the UK on a worrying course towards free trade agreements and low standard imports. The opportunity to support the adoption of sustainable farming practices across the whole farm, not just around the edges, is also in danger of being missed entirely with a piece of legislation which currently fails to integrate food production and environmental protection.

Good to see an amendment to the Agriculture Bill to support County Farms from being sold off by councils has been tabled ahead of Lords Committee Stage:

May 13 Report Stage of Agriculture Bill

A Bill to authorise expenditure for certain agricultural and other purposes; to make provision about direct payments following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union and about payments in response to exceptional market conditions affecting agricultural markets; to confer power to modify retained direct EU legislation relating to agricultural and rural development payments and public market intervention and private storage aid; to make provision about reports on food security; to make provision about the acquisition and use of information connected with food supply chains; to confer powers to make regulations about the imposition of obligations on business purchasers of agricultural products, marketing standards, organic products and the classification of carcasses; to make provision for the recognition of associations of agricultural producers which may benefit from certain exemptions from competition law; to make provision about fertilisers; to make provision about the identification and traceability of animals; to make provision about red meat levy in Great Britain; to make provision about agricultural tenancies; to confer power to make regulations about securing compliance with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture; and for connected purposes.

LWA wanting support for 2 amendments - re trading standards and agroecology.

DEFRA Summary

New requirement for the UK government to regularly report on food security to parliament - as 28% of our food is imported from the EU and 19% from other countries

Recognition of the importance of soil quality, so financial assistance can be provided for monitoring programmes and soil health research.

Financial assistance monitoring - to monitor, evaluate and report on financial assistance schemes.

Animal traceability - a new service to improve the collection and management of information relating to the identification, movement and health of animals.

Fertiliser regulation - powers to effectively regulate this industry including "updating the definition of a fertiliser to take account of the latest technological advances".

Organics regulation - powers to tailor organics regulation so UK producers can continue to trade organic produce across the world.

The government says that the landmark legislation - with new arrangements for subsidies - is designed to provide a boost to the industry after years of “inefficient and overly bureaucratic policy dictated to farmers by the EU.”

To blame the EU for the disastrous distribution of EU funds means somebody is very forgetful. The National Audit Office blamed “counterproductive behaviour by senior leaders” in government. The Rural Payments Agency was regularly fined (£600+ Million over 10 years) by the EU for not doing their job! All they had to do was pay out according to the amount of land and they could not manage that, but now expected to deliver complex calculations.

Climate Change

After the Lords, there is now recognition of role on Climate Change. Need details about:

a. Climate mitigation - either reducing emissions or enhancing sequestration – e.g. protection of carbon rich soils, improving soil organic matter.

b. Climate adaptation.

c. Protection of landscape features not covered by cross-compliance, e.g. ponds.

d. Requirements for Integrated Pest Management.

Agroecology

Agroecology is considered a 'public good' (b) as part of better understanding of the environment where there is "Financial assistance to farmers to share information about agroecology" . Kerry McCarthy (Lab) criticised the Bill for lack of a commitment (beyond sharing information) on the type of whole farm, ecological approach to food production (known as agroecology).

There is mention of agroecology and the need for training. LWA summary

We are trying to develop learning materials for agroecology, and want them to be in the national vocational framework

What it does not do

Standards

NFU want ""to see a legal commitment to protect our high food and welfare standards in future trade deals." They, and others, want it law to prevent imports of food produced to standards that would be illegal here. I was promised maintenance of these standards when I bumped into my rural Tory MP Nigel Evans.

In a letter to government with 60 signatures, they say the government should enshrine its manifesto (that “in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards) commitment in law. The Agriculture Bill provides a good opportunity to do so for some key standards. We would be pleased to work with the government to draft legislative provisions that meet the government’s commitment to safeguard standards while allowing sufficient flexibility to conduct meaningful trade negotiations. “ Hmm just some key standards? As I keep saying, laws will not maintain standards, as standards are maintained not just by government inspectors but retailers and consumers checking for those standards. Laws cost money to enforce, and there will then be shouts of 'red tape'.

Hedgerows

EU law says hedgerows cannot be cut during the bird nesting season and there must be buffer strips two metres wide which must not have fertilisers or pesticides put on them. These protections are not contained in the new legislation being debated in the House of Commons. There is not the same level of protection as under the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP), according to report by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP). "Campaigners are lobbying the government to make sure every farmer meets minimum environmental standards after Britain leaves the EU, not just those that sign up for wildlife subsidies". Habitat loss could affect hedgehogs, dragonflies and several birds like linnets and yellow hammers (a BAP species).

Reviews

Sustain welcomes the inclusion of financial rewards for soil protection in the Bill and the need to raise awareness of agroecology. ..but wants to see some tangible measures.

GWCT 'A big step forward' "The recognition of soil as a public good – and the inclusion of support for those ensuring a healthy soil – is hugely significant. " Trouble is DEFRA have already said soil is NOT a public good (above)

LWA summary "pleased to see that the term “agroecology” has been put into the Bill and that framing of financial support must have regard for the production of food in environmentally sustainable ways."

My Review. It all looks like a wonderful countryside from afar - in the Shard - just like the romanticised view of Constable 200 year ago. But reality it will be really rough for rural economies. Fleshing this out. It will be lamb farms to the slaughter - hit on three sides by diminishing subsidies, increased quotas for tax free-lamb form New Zealand and Australia, and tariff walls when exporting to the EU - previously 90% of lamb exports. Many will go by the laneside, but some will stay by just looking after the land - growing trees and digging ponds. That will look nice, but those subsidies do not feed the local economy where locals take the sheep to market, or abattoir and butchers cut them into products for local sale. We need a Bill that addresses poverty through food, and provides for the local economy - through food stamps - just like subsides do in the US.

The Tories talk of 'public money for public goods', which sounds GOOD, but refers to 'goods' - that can be sold - thus 'commodifying nature'.