Import standards

Next season British salad crops at risk from post-Brexit seed and plant border controls, growers warn Dec 24. UK salad veg production is under threat from post-Brexit border checks. British greenhouse growers are imploring the government to help UK businesses stay in business and ensure home-grown salad crops remain on UK shelves.

Amendment NC2

'To stop food imports produced to lower standards than those in UK.'

“(1) A Minister of the Crown may not lay a copy of an international trade agreement before Parliament under section 20(1) of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 that contains provisions relating to the importation of agricultural and food products into the UK unless they have first made a statement confirming that—(a) the agreement contains an affirmation of the United Kingdom’s rights and obligations under the World Trade Organisation Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, and(b) any agricultural or food product imported into the UK under the agreement will have been produced or processed according to standards which are equivalent to, or which exceed, the relevant domestic standards and regulations in relation to..."

The amendment was voted down. Ayes 277 Noes 328.

22 Tories voted 'Aye' including Chancellor Rishi Sunak -although he claimed he accidentally hit the wrong button, in this the first ever electronic vote in parliament.

Villiers axed from Intelligence Committee for voting as she did here.

"Its formation has been delayed after Theresa Villiers, the former environment secretary, was barred from joining after defying the Tory whip in a vote on food standards."

NFU Petition reaches a million

Which? Petition - over 150,00

Next season British salad crops at risk from post-Brexit seed and plant border controls, growers warn Dec 24. UK salad veg production is under threat from post-Brexit border checks. British greenhouse growers are imploring the government to help UK businesses stay in business and ensure home-grown salad crops remain on UK shelves.

Latest

NFU calling for Trade, Food and Farming Standards Commission 'to review policy and develop solutions to promote free trade while holding all food imports to the UK’s high food standards.' Ministers said standards of imported food were a matter for the trade bill, which is beginning its passage through parliament (21 May). Minette Batters, president of the NFU, said a commitment had to be written into law - not 'brief pledges in manifesto' or 'verbal assurances.' I wonder what she is referring to?

Commission set up (More) but Matters refuses to join, as wont sign confidentiality clause , and Truss faces Lord revolt for not firming up standards.

Which MPs fought for farmers?

Background

Over 60 farming, food & environmental organisations came together to lobby the government that there should be control (over our borders!) to stop imports of farm and food products produced to lower standards to those which we operate. In my book Bittersweet Brexit I spelt out that there were two main sorts of people voting for Brexit - those that wanted to be out of the control Brussels (Brexiteers) and those who wanted to go off round the world doing trade deals - free marketeers. This was the battle the free marketeers wanted to win. There are Tories who wanted out of EU but did not want this. With an 80 majority, it is clear quite a few Tories voted for the amendment, as the majority is 'only' 50.

Throughout the previous readings of the Bill, it had been pointed out that all the best intentions in the Bill would be ruined if farmers had to compete with cheaper food from abroad - if that was made to lower environmental safety and welfare standards. But the government argued that that was a 'trade' matter and thus not part of this Bill. However, it was decided to include this amendment, hence there is reference to it being a 'hybrid' bill.

UK farmers had a chance if they competed with food produce made to same standards - despite advantages like New Zealand have to produce lamb on vast ranches. But, they cannot compete with lower standards, as the investment required to produce here would be prohibitive. It always had been, but had been protected by being in the Single Market - that gave them a market to sell into, and that 'Single Market' (much different from normal Free Trade Agreement) did protect against lower standard imports. More on Standards

Tasty Morsels

Starting with the 'Noes' ending with the 'Ayes'..

Liam Fox Con - arch free marketeer "There is a bit of environmental law here, a bit of consumer protection here and a bit of producer protection elsewhere. It all adds up to a silting up of the global trading system. Why does that matter? It matters because it risks the progress we have made in the past generation of taking a billion people out of abject poverty through global free trade. It is not morally acceptable for those countries that have done very well out of global trade to turn to the others that are still developing and pull the ladder up in front of them...The new clause is not compatible with WTO rules. Food safety and related issues are anchored in WTO law. Only the slaughter of animals is covered as a welfare issue in the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement."

Several mentioned or muttered this - but this amendment IS compatible with WTO rule - strictly called the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement (or SPS), which 'allows countries to set their own standards. But it also says regulations must be based on science'. The mover of the amendment and Chair of EFRA Committee (Neil Parish) made this clear. WTO insists a country cannot impose higher standards, than ones they work to themselves. This amendment seeks to make them the same.

Owen Paterson Con "Americans eat roughly twice as much chicken as Europeans, and their outcomes on Campylobacter and Salmonella are significantly better."

I do not know where he got his statistics from - these are mine

The US have increased food safety risks by 10X according to Sustain "The US Centre of Disease Control and Prevention reports around 380 deaths in the US each year attributed to foodborne salmonella poisoning. The most recent epidemiological lab data from Public Health England shows no deaths in England and Wales from salmonella between 2005 and 2015. Salmonella food poisoning is most commonly caused by consumption of contaminated food of animal origin, such as beef, chicken, milk, fish or eggs." That is why we have a system that eliminates salmonella in the chicken flock, thanks to Edwina Curry, whereas the US rely on killing off the stuff afterwards-'hence chlorinated chicken'. In the end we prefer prevention rather than 'curing' contamination.There is a 4 -5 fold increased risk of dying from salmonellosis due to eating food in US compared to EU. Yet - according to EU figures, in 2018 there were 57 deaths due to salmonellosis in UK in 2018 (!?). Annually, 14.7% (48m) of the US population suffer from foodborne illness, versus 1.5% (1m) in the UK: CDC: cdc.gov/foodborneburden/estimates-overview.htmlFood Standards Agency: acss.food.gov.uk/…/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/fds2015.pdfChlorine can make foodborne pathogens such as salmonella undetectable:Study led by University of Southampton, published in mBio, the lead journal for the American Society of Microbiology: southampton.ac.uk/news/2018/04/foodborne-illness-study.page

Mark Garnier Con "We would introduce a process-based regulation, rather than an outcomes-based regulation under WTO terms. What we must do is support our farmers by promoting exports."

Why not export most of out farm and food exports to our nearest neighbour - the EU? e.g. cheese. My MP - Nigel Evans spoke to me enthusiastically how well we were selling cheese to US. FWI says we export 2000 tonnes of cheese to USA worth about £13M, whereas cheese exports to EU are nearly 50,000 tonnes worth nearly £150M.

Marcus Fysh Con "High standards are often a very good marketing feature for our export products around the rest of the world. Being able to do these deals around the rest of the world is critical. At the end of the day, the new clauses, if passed, would interfere with our ability to sign new trade deals and to roll over the existing ones that we have with the EU. It would put us outside of the scope of our WTO agreements, and we would be that trade pariah."

Theresa Villiers Con Replacing the CAP means that we can deliver a better, brighter, greener future for farming in England, but we will not be able to realise that vision if we expose our farmers to unfettered competition from US imports produced to lower standards of animal welfare and environmental protection."

Neil Parish Con "This is about having equivalence of production on imported food, so that it is WTO-compliant"

Kerry McCarthy (Lab) "It has been made abundantly clear that no one—not the farmers, not the environmentalists, not the public, not the consumers and not even Tory MPs—trusts the Government’s verbal assurances on this. It is not enough for the Minister to say that it will not happen; we want it in writing, enshrined in law."

Tim Farron LD "We will suffer a huge blow if the Bill fails to impose import standards"

Jonathan Edwards Plaid "The absurdity of current British Government trade policy means that trade negotiations with the US are given equal billing to those with the EU, despite their own figures indicating that it would take 60 deals with Trump to make up for what will be lost as a result of a botched Brexit transition phase. Again, Northern Ireland’s farmers will be protected as they will effectively remain in the EU customs union. The British Government seem to think they can leverage concessions from Europe by holding parallel talks, but President Macron, as usual, has completely outmanoeuvred the British Government by saying plainly that if the UK pursues a US deal and agrees to the importation of cheaper, lower-standard food, they can forget the trade deal with the EU."

Dave Doogan SNP "This import standards issue is a matter of unparalleled concern within the industry, and moreover, it enjoys political support from across all parties in this House—a rare thing indeed....

An early casualty, if we fail to act, will be the outstanding egg producers of these islands. It is a success story within food production.. Yet, if the Bill fails to uphold their high standards of production on imports, they will face unparalleled if not insurmountable challenges in competing with foreign imports of egg products, dried and liquid, that could be produced to horrifically low animal welfare standards before ending up in unwitting consumers’ food products here."

David Zeichner Lab "All the positive aspects of the Bill that I have referred to will be meaningless, however, if our farmers face imports from countries that apply lower standards. We all know that, in a delicious irony, it is clear that the current Secretary of State (George Eustice @ NFU Conference) shares our view because, in his brief absence from the Government Front Bench last year, he tabled a comprehensive set of amendments to guard against that problem."

Comments

Mover of amendment Neil Parish said "I believe the vote on New Clause 2 demonstrated disquiet in the Commons about the direction of travel."

Shadow supporter Luke Pollard "“The political handcuffs placed on the environment secretary [George Eustice] and his ministers to tie them to oppose these reasonable, sensible, necessary and essential amendments betray the bigger political agenda at play here.”

Food Manufacturer Government throws out standards

Dominic Lawson Farmers are telling pork pies

Andrew Percy MP said he had 'no particular reason' for not voting on the amendment, and that was the end of the matter...see right column

Norfolk Farmers plead 'Don't allow trade deals to undermine our food standards' South West Norfolk MP and international trade secretary Liz Truss has pledged not to undermine British farming's high food standards in post-Brexit trade deals - but farmers want a legal guarantee.

TruePublica Tory treachery lets in US Agribusiness "The most important piece of farming legislation to come before parliament in decades and means, American agricultural food imports takes precedent over British farming standards"

Daily Mail in Stand up for British farmers, Nicholas Soames says: "Today, facing an unprecedented economic slump and a radical overhaul in our international trading agreements, our farmers face their biggest challenge since the Second World War. It has barely registered in public debate, yet radical legislation is now going through Parliament that will set the future arrangements for domestic agriculture for the first time since 1947.

The farming industry has suggested we establish a Food and Standards Commission in order to examine trade deals and make informed recommendations to MPs. This is an extremely good idea and would offer essential parliamentary scrutiny, something that appears sadly lacking today."

I voted Tory but they have kicked us in the teeth. " They wrote back to us all and said they fully appreciated where we were coming from and really did understand and agree that food standards need maintaining. And then when the votes took place they completely turned tail and they all voted against it – that’s another betrayal. It really kicked us in the teeth."

60 days to save British family farm: "Tories rebel as Trade Secretary Liz Truss 'plots to betray UK farmers' for Trump deal that could see stores flooded with sub-standard imports. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has clashed with Environment Secretary George Eustice".

"There are now major concerns about the future of British farming. Especially after the party that is meant to be the party of the countryside voting against all amendments to provide security for UK farming standards. In another worry for Britain’s ability to feed itself....another amendment to require a the production of a “coronavirus emergency food plan” ..was also defeated by the Government."

Armstrong Weston (Financial Advisers 'up North') (Head of Agriculture) 'We shouldnt be too demoralised' "As one client rightly reminded me, there has been a flood of food imports into the UK for years and we will just have to keep producing our quality products. "

Northern Ireland “the potential to be the last nail in the coffin for agriculture in Northern Ireland.”

Farming UK "MPs reject Ag Bill vote to protect UK farmers' high standards. NFU Cymru responded to the amendment rejection with '"significant disappointment. Unfortunately, without this amendment the bill lacks any formal requirement to uphold our farming production standards as we negotiate trade deals and in our general trade policy," president John Davies said.

Farmers Weekly "Despite priding themselves on being “the party of the countryside”, only 22 Conservatives voted to support Mr Parish’s defeated amendment." Fight Goes On

Huffington Post "Mnisters see off attempt to uphold food standards in post-Brexit trade deals."

Simon Hoare “Anybody can look at a whole variety of websites to realise some of the pretty horrendous ways in which livestock is raised in a number of countries across the world. "

Scottish Land and Estates (SLE) and NFU Scotland (NFUS) have warned British farmers are now at risk of being undermined by imports of food produced to standards which would not be allowed in this country. "All we ask for is a level playing field" Think that should be 'ploughing field'

FUW president Glyn Roberts said its members and the public were appalled that an attempt to protect UK farmers and consumers from food produced to lower health, welfare and environmental standards had effectively been blocked by the government, at a time when the importance of protecting the food security and health of the nation was at the top of the agenda. “With the Agriculture Bill now due to be considered by the House of Lords it is essential that they do all they can to correct this position before the bill returns to the House of Commons, and I truly hope that the government will support rather than obstruct this,” he added.

Andrew Percy

My comments (always in italics)

I believe that the importance of this amendment is similar to the Repeal of the Corn Laws over 150 years ago. The repercussions will be felt for generations, leading to cheap 'sub standard' food imported as part of several trade deals. USA will want to XS corn, soy, beef, pig, chicken. Argentina wants to export more beef, as does Brazil, while Australia and New Zealand want to export their lamb. Our farmers cannot compete with lower standards. Our costs of production are higher, so having higher standards makes the investment worthwhile - but not if substandard food is coming in, wrecking our rural communities. It looks fine from the Gherkin in the City, but catastrophic for small lamb farmers in Lancashire. Yet there was no coverage on TV that night, as the virus consumed all.

Quite a few Conservatives voted against the amendment, but said that they believed in high standards, and even that they were important to help exports. Presumably they believed they were following the Conservative Manifesto which said "we believe that British farmers and fishermen should be able to profit by producing food and fish that are the envy of the world – both for their quality and the high standards to which they were produced." No doubt some farmers and food producers will produce to the standards, for export or niche market reasons. But the vast majority will not want to invest the extra time, capital, money and concern when there will be no reward for it. They cannot sell easily into the Single Market which guaranteed those standards, nor be able to compete in UK market against food coming in at lower standards.

Related News

UK plans to cut tariffs on US agricultural imports sparking Ministerial spat!

A "big concession package” to US negotiators in the coming months would reduce the cost of some agricultural imports to unlock a trade deal with Washington. The package to liberalise tariffs is led by Liz Truss, international trade secretary, who is overseeing the UK-US negotiations. But she has faced internal opposition from environment secretary George Eustice, who is concerned that cheaper US goods may undercut UK farmers.

A Tory MP replying to a constituent said - after checking with Liz Truss and Victoria Prentice:

"Under WTO rules, the UK Government is able to reject products that do not meet the standards we have set as ourselves, however, it is not legal to use legislation to dictate the sanitary processes of other sovereign countries. If passed, the amendment would have had significant unintended consequences that go beyond our current standards on food imports. The supply of certain products would be disrupted if goods that meet our current import standards were to be blocked, including goods we import now from the EU.."
BUT THE AMENDMENT IS CLEAR - It says the SAME standards, so can she explain how we will be dictating to other countries - when many countries state the same as this amendment - to keep to SAME standards. What are the 'unintended consequences' ?
She goes on to say: ""British farmers will be protected from low quality imports coming into this country through the European Union Withdrawal Bill. British farmers will be protected from low quality imports coming into this country through the European Union Withdrawal Bill."Could she explain how this will happen - as presumably this refers only to EU imports - not from the rest of the world, because - as we will know - we will now 'be free' to set our own standards.
She also said: "The supply of certain products would be disrupted if goods that meet our current import standards were to be blocked, including goods we import now from the EU"I really do not understand that at all. The supply form EU of many of products to make our food are going to be disrupted.

Empire 2.0

Imports

We built our nayion of what food we imported, decimating our own agrivulture bringing back frozen animals in ships built in Northern Ireland. There is much more to the Empire, particularly regarding crops, and several Brixiteers started to promote 'Empire 2.0 to promote stronger links with the Commonwealth. The International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told his staff not to use the expression "“It’s a phrase I find slightly offensively caricaturing. So it’s not a phrase I would use". He added that it was right for the UK to have a “proper global view” as it leaves the European Union. Fox said the “rapid economic development” of some Commonwealth nations opened up new opportunities for mutually advantageous trade links.

Exports

When talking about food & drink exports, we should remember that the vast majority of exports by value is what the Americans call 'hard liquor' - whisky and gin -accounting for about 40%.

Then Environment Secretary, Andrea Leadsom announced an ‘International Action Plan for Food and Drink in Paris to sell more exports. The government claims global ambitions to export more food and drink could bring in £3bn. They identified nine markets across 18 countries with a hunger, or rather thirst, for classic British items.

These include an extra £185m in exports to Japan for tea, jam and biscuits, nearly £300m to Australia and New Zealand for our beer and cider, and over £200m in Mexico and Latin America for our whisky and gin. They aim to get an extra £400m for pork, beef, lamb (the poorer cuts) and poultry, as well premium seafood. They are targeting drinks for China as they are the second largest imported beer market in the world. More Going Global

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