May 2024 At long last border checks being introduced. The inspect imports on a risk scale which can cost up to £145 for several items together. 60% of fruit & veg and 40% of beef & dairy come through Dover. "There have been concerns about the capacity and design limitations of the £147 million Sevington facility, 22 miles from Dover, that has been chosen for the inspections. Ironically, while these checks are touted to enhance UK’s biosecurity, there remain concerns that moving the checks inland “creates an open door for disease and food fraud”.
"Concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of the UK’s border controls, after vehicles importing food from Eastern Europe were found to contain rotten, unlabelled meat and flax seeds with illegally high pesticide residue levels". Oct 22
21 of 22 lorries illegal "Officials from Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) inspected 22 lorries originating from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Poland over a 24-hour period earlier this month. They found illegal meat imports in 21 of the vehicles entering the UK, including 2.5t of illegal pork. The haul also consisted of raw animal products loosely stored in carrier bags and tissue without temperature control, refrigeration or labelled identification. These items were not separated from ready-to-eat products, such as cheese, crisps and cake."
H&S regulations on the edge "Some businesses may welcome the deregulation. However, many will be perturbed by the uncertainty and annoyed by the extra cost of taking health and safety advice and updating their policies and procedures to keep up with the changes."
EU producers still not ready or import checks (June 2023) "Ministers have been warned that European food producers are “not ready” for UK import checks, which are due to begin later this year, and that their introduction will drive food price inflation. The controls have already been postponed four times over the past 18 months, because of fears about the potential effect on prices. Farming groups reacted angrily to the delays at the time, pointing out they left domestic producers, who have faced full checks on exports to the EU since 1 January 2021, at a competitive disadvantage."
Import checks due Oct 31. "EU producers of meat products wishing to export to the UK will have to employ a vet to certify their goods, which will cost up to €700 a time. All sectors will have to employ agents for data entry compliance which could add another €200. They will have to train themselves on the paperwork. Then, come January, there’s the border inspection charge of up to £43 for each consignment regardless of whether it’s physically inspected or not. Faced by all of this, thousands of small producers from across Europe who have kept this country supplied with a fabulously diverse range of quality products will simply decide it’s not worth the trouble."
UK ministers are set to announce a further delay to post-Brexit border controls on animal and plant products coming from the EU, amid fears that extra bureaucracy on imported goods will fuel inflation.
The decision to delay the new import regime at Britain’s ports, which had been due to start in October, is also intended to give companies and port operators yet more time to implement the arrangements
Farmers Union Wales "has described the on-going delay in post-Brexit border checks on food as baffling. The UK Government's apparent decision to continue to allow imports from the EU to circumvent checks is a blow for many UK producers, and an own goal in terms of the UK’s negotiating position over improvements that would help UK exporters. " Our borders continue to operate like valves that make it extremely difficult and costly for us to export to the EU, due to all the paperwork and checks at EU borders, but it’s extremely easy for those in the EU to import into the UK because the UK Government has waived the need for equivalent checks at our own borders.
The continued absence of border control posts (BCP) in European ports for processing livestock exports from the UK is costing a Dorset pedigree cattle breeder £150,000 in lost orders. There has been no trade in live animals between the UK and mainland Europe since the end of 2020 because BCPs for checking livestock entering Europe have yet to be established.
Fruit exports to EU halved "Exports of fruit fell from £248.5m in year to March 2021 to £113.8m in 12 months to March 2023 " The decline has been put down to the introduction of trade barriers caused by the UK’s departure from the EU, including mandatory health certificates on fresh and chilled food and customs paperwork.
Higher Export standards to EU. UK is introducing post-Brexit regulations that will make it harder (than EU regs) for meat producers to export to EU. "From December 13 the UK Department for Agriculture will require tens of thousands of farmers to obtain formal attestations from qualified vets about the health of their animals earmarked for slaughter and export." rather than farmers themselves saying they have been visited. There is a shortage of vets - about 210 cf 260 needed.
Michael Gove explains why import food standards must be the same as ours
This hasn't aged well.
While saying they are keeping to their manifesto pledge to maintain standards, the Tories are not maintaining them on imported food and farmstuffs
Farmers get increased support from public."75 per cent of Britons have a positive view of the farming industry – the highest figure since the Farmer Favourability Survey began in 2012."
When considering standards - don't forget the workers
Ministers to use obscure rule to stop MPs voting on UK-US deal
Labelling will not protect us Which? The US wants LESS labelling in any deal.
Nothing appetising about any UK-US deal Jay Raynor
No stopping antibiotics in US meat, if on WTO rules
Growers raise concerns as LRT consults about new standards
Red Tractor accused of double standards - wanting less standards for imported produce than UK.
May 2022.....
A Kent brewery says it has seen a 95% drop in export sales since the UK left the EU. (Aug 22)
The Old Dairy Brewery in Tenterden says extra paperwork, customs checks and transport rules are to blame.
Scrap EU consumer and worker protections says leading Tory MP. "Safeguards for the use of data, pay and conditions, GM foods, hedge funds, dangerous chemicals and the disposal of environmentally-damaging vehicles should all be binned, Daniel Hannan said.
Potato Wars "Defra will end the six-month authorisation (June 30) that allowed imports of seed potatoes from Europe to GB at a time when exports from GB to EU were not permitted. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Europe, announced at the end of 2020, failed to agree equivalence on seed potatoes.This resulted in significant prohibitions on Scottish & NI seed exports to the EU, The NFU Scotland said that the consequence for growers was 'immediate and grave'.As an EU Member State, Britain exported around 30,000t of seed potatoes worth £13.5m to Europe each year, and the majority of these were high-health stocks grown in Scotland. UK attempts to agree 'equivalence' had been rejected by EU. The UK market differs from EU, so Scottish growers will have to adapt.
Commission
Trade Act UK ministers gain power to allow lower-standard food imports. Trade bill vote rejects Lords amendment giving MPs greater scrutiny of trade deals
'Adamant about maintaining standards' - Jan 21 "The Commission intends to go even further than this, recommending the Government makes it a ‘red line’ that existing bans on produce reared using growth promoters such as ractopamine or Bovine somatotropin (bST) are kept in place."
Trade & Agriculture Commission put on statutory footing. Despite saying for weeks it doesnt have to be a legal entity, and after a long fight from farming groups and peers in the House of Lords, Ministers have agreed to put the Commission into law. Gov site "It will produce a report on the impact on animal welfare and agriculture of each free trade deal the government signs after the end of the EU transition period on January 1. This report will be laid in Parliament "
Save British Farming "Just to be clear, given today’s T&AC news, as long as our #FoodStandards aren’t enshrined in primary legislation, we shall continue campaigning and holding demos around the country. "
Vicki Herd, Sustain "Does anyone seriously think that will protect much? Farmers and public are being let down. #SaveOurStandards
CC says The mere presence of such a Commission shows that standards will not automatically be protected but instead be up for negotiation. The government has created a smokescreen, behind which deals will be made individually over many years, not attracting much attention in turmoil to come.
Safeguarding Standards warns that the UK government has weakened protections around food imports and is failing to consider properly the impact of trade on public health, animal welfare and the environment.
From the Future British Standards Coalition (FBSC) it found that UK ministers have given themselves significant powers to change the rules on food imports without parliamentary votes or proper scrutiny. Rules governing the use of hormones and food additives are now easier to change, while standards on the use of antibiotics in farming have already been deleted.Ministers have refused to sign safeguards on imported food.
Parliament
An amendment has been tabled by the Government to the Agriculture Bill, which would require the Secretary of State, after negotiating a free trade agreement with any country outside the EU, to lay a report before Parliament on how the deal maintains UK health, environmental and animal welfare standards. Nov '20
Ping
Lords Amendment 16B (20 Oct 20) after Commons rejected earlier version
1) Agri-food imports would have to seek equivalence to domestic animal welfare, environment, food safety/hygiene/traceability, & plant health standards. However, there's now flexibility on this with less developed countries, so as to not unfairly impede trade with those nations2) Government must lay a statement before Parliament confirming equivalent standards have been met, and if any exemptions have been given, must state their case why - this is prior to Parliament voting on a trade deal. Gives stronger Parliamentary scrutiny of negotiated deals3) Agri-food chapters in trade deals must be approved by House of Commons before the deal can be ratified. A motion must be moved in the Lords to debate chapters, unless Peers decide it is not needed. Parliament gets a clear say, which should better represent public interestsShock as Red Tractor Chair votes against each of these amendments
Baroness Neville-Rolfe chair of Assured Food Standards (ASF) said a couple of weeks before: “This is a critically important time for Red Tractor to demonstrate strong leadership in protecting the integrity of the food chain and British agricultural standards."'Tesco Moll' resigns
Pong
330 Tories voted to reject Lords amendment (listed here) "MPs have for a second time overturned measures from peers aimed at protecting UK food standards in future trade deals. The House of Commons voted 331 to 272, majority 59, to disagree with a House of Lords amendment " Nov 4
Instead, MPs backed a government amendment to the Bill to increase parliamentary scrutiny of free trade agreements (Commission above) and for extra detail on how measures are consistent with maintaining UK standards.
We were promised by Tory Brexiteers - time and again - that we would keep our food standards (on safety, environment & animal welfare). Witness my surprise meeting with my - prominent -Tory MP. Yet as soon as we start coming out of the EU, the government is saying we cannot maintain standards.
Senior Tory MP reported as saying the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to sign an agreement with the USA was being ‘hijacked by a bunch of Waitrose protectionists’.
The Welsh First Minister said the governments proposals for a n internal market has set back devolution.
'The most worrying’ part of the UK Government’s plans was the potential for Welsh environmental and food safety standards to be undermined if another nation chose to import sub-standard produce.'
Which! find people want food standards "95% of people believe it’s important that the UK maintains existing food standards when negotiating trade deals. Some 74% told us us they object to food produced with lower standards entering the UK"
Bang go our food and farming standards: Under the terms of the trade bill, an agreement can now be negotiated... entirely in secret, laid before parliament, and can officially become law after 21 days without any vote or substantive debate by MPs. Commission (above) should now stop that.
During the debate on the amendment to the Agriculture Bill regarding standards, some Tory MPs said that the appropriate place to debate this matter was during the trade bill. It was, and it lost again, prompting Jay Raynor to call Gove a 'straight up liar'.
MRLs
Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) - previously set by EU will in future be set 'behind closed doors'. These levels govern the amounts of antibiotics, medicines and pesticides in food, and are strictly adhered to by retailers. The government pledged to keep to EU MRLs, but in future the UK will "set appropriate MRLs" of its own choosing. More on 'Pesticides at the Crossroads'.
Poorest least likely to want lower food standards Which? report shows "showed only one in ten (11 per cent) of people from lower income households wanted access to cheap, low standard food, compared to one in six (16 per cent) from more affluent households."
High tariffs on sub-standard food. PM backs Eustice plan.
According to reports, "the Government position was adopted at a ministerial meeting last week (June 20), with some suggesting the PM’s decision was influenced by his partner, animal welfare activist Carrie Symonds.
The proposal is part of a two-pronged approach which would allow high-quality foods, such as organically-reared free range meat, to be imported with lower tariffs."
Imports
Explaining the Government’s refusal to legally protect food production standards in trade deals (Feb '20), the Minister Victoria Prentis claimed such a move would ‘create considerable uncertainty’ about whether current imports could continue. "She pointed to the example of poultry, where not all of the UK’s £2.1bn-worth of chicken imports meet domestic stocking density requirements, and said new restrictions would lead to price rises."
Shadow Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner tabled an amendment to the Bill which would have banned lower standard imports, known as ‘new clause 1’ (became NC2), Government said: "we are concerned we would risk significant challenge from it… if [any WTO member] believed our import measures were arbitrary, discriminatory or a disguised form of protectionism.” So there it is - standards to go.
Tenant Farmers: “Is the Minister really saying that in order to provide a sufficient quantity of food she is prepared to sacrifice the quality standards we hold dear at home and offshore our environmental and animal welfare consciences? Yes
NFU Wales "“In our view, this news is a kick in the teeth to the professionalism, dedication and investment of Wales’ farmers in producing food to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards. Previous promises of a bright new future for the industry outside the European Union already seem to have been forgotten. "
Half our chickens already in US agribusiness control May '20 "Half of the UK’s chickens are being produced by companies fully or partly controlled by US agribusinesses, according to an analysis of industry data, fuelling concerns of growing American influence over the British food sector. "
Moy Park, owned by Pilgrims Pride, now produces approximately 312 million birds a year, while Avara Foods – a joint venture between the US giant Cargill and the UK’s Faccenda Foods – slaughters 234 million. About a billion birds are killed every year in UK abattoirs.
George Eustice, the agriculture minister, told the Commons (Sept '20) that five times more certificates would be needed for every animal product, despite a critical shortage of vets.
"We should trust the consumers" says Penny Mordant, despite:
"in reality many meat products, such as in restaurants, hospitals, and school cafeterias, do not have a country of origin label, making it impossible for consumers to differentiate."
George Eustice, the new (Feb 20) environment secretary, said there was a “discussion to be had” on food standards, in contrast with his predecessor Theresa Villiers, who had promised legal protections.
Villiers said neither chlorinated chicken nor hormone beef will be allowed into Britain in any US trade deal. At the Oxford Farming Conference on Wednesday (Jan 20) she also suggested the UK could introduce tariffs on imports of food from countries with lower food standards. There is no mention in the new revised Agricultural Bill (above) to bring in law to maintain standards, as requested by NFU, who suggested at the conference that there should be a Standards Commission to make sure that any deal government makes doe snot weaken our standards. Oh! Villiers left 6 weeks later to be replaced by ex-UKIPper/Fruit farmer George Eustice
The very same day I too was at in Oxford - only the Real farming Conference answering questions put by young people (rt). We were asked what we could do best to help fight climate change. HD said put a carbon tax on food imports, which Guy from Riverford scoffed (rightly), and I said 'produce much more of our food ourselves'.
Did somebody say chicken? UK is preparing to break with EU on food safety at WTO meeting (Feb 20) " Downing Street is preparing to break away from the EU on food safety at an upcoming WTO summit, in yet another breach of transition rules within the Withdrawal Agreement.The stage will be set when the US formally welcomes the UK as an independent member of the WTO during a meeting about sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. SPS is the hot topic, the most sensitive issue about any trade negotiation with the EU or the US, so it is politically huge. The UK’s permanent representative Julian Braithwaite is expected to respond with “a clear statement about future intentions” on areas like beef hormones, gene editing and GM foods and the use of peracetic acid to wash poultry." NB BJ said we wouldn't use chlorine - presumably using acid instead.
The Beef Hormone Dispute is one of the most intractable agricultural controversies since the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The EU started to limit hormone use to therapeutic reasons only. In 1989, the European Union banned the importation of meat that contained artificial beef growth hormones approved for use and administered in the United States. Other countries allowing 'growth' hormones include Mexico, Canada and Australia, These growth-promoting hormones are generally administered to cattle in the form of small pellets termed 'implants', placed under the skin in the animal's ear.
Farm groups fury including the NFU, National Sheep Association, Livestock Auctioneers Association, TFA, NFU Scotland, NFU Cymru and the Farmers Union of Wales.
Speaking on food standards during debate on Withdrawal Bill, Mr Corbyn said: "The choice we now face is between keeping the highest environmental and food standards in order to get a future trade deal with the European Union, or slashing food standards to match those of the United States where there are so-called acceptable levels of rat hairs in paprika, maggots in orange juice." But former Tory party leader, Mr Duncan Smith claimed approaches across the Atlantic were more effective than those deployed by UK farmers. Yet Salmonella related deaths in USA are around 430 / year compared to none in Britain, and Campylobacter deaths are about 124/yr in USA compared to one every two years here. More in Science or mumbo-Jumbo & Trump & Trade
Regulations are not the same as standards. In the EU workers', environmental and animal standards are harmonised. EU Directives are enacted by member States in various ways including regulations. Regulations prevent the worst, by inspectors going round poking and prosecuting. Poorly organised food and farm workers rely more on the laws to protect them, but employers often complain about this 'red tape'. Standards (eg LEAF, Red Tractor) promote better - by civil society like retailers and consumers. At present many of our standards are directly compatible with relate Single Market conditions, but they will be vulnerable - especially as we move away from EU trading - which many free marketeers want.
There will be little incentive for food and farm employers to stick to worker, environmental and animal standards, if they are not exporting into the EU. Why invest in all that if there are no better returns - the sort you can only get through the Single Market? I tried to explain this to my rural MP - see 'My heart is in farming'- Picked up by 'Sustain'.
PM BJ said at Greenwich (Feb '20) "While reiterating that the UK would not accept a ‘diminution of standards’ on food hygiene or animal welfare in a future US deal, Britain would be ‘governed by science, not mumbo-jumbo’" More in Trump & Trade
When Sajid Javid says we’ll be aligning with US rather than EU standards, does this mean it will be more expensive to get Camembert, but cheaper to get aerosol cheese. Any problem there?
