Government announces membership of Trade and Agriculture Commission

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: “My officials and I are working round the clock to ensure any trade deal we strike brings the very best opportunities to the UK’s farming community.

“We recognise the importance of engaging with the agriculture industry and seeking expert advice, which is why we have set up the Commission.

“Our high food and animal welfare standards will not be compromised.”

NFU president Minette Batters, who has been pushing for the Commission for 18 months, recently told Farmers Guardian she did not want to sit on the panel because the position should be taken by someone with the ‘time and technical expertise’ to do the job.

Brexit

The NFU will be represented by its Brexit and international trade director, Nick von Westenholz.

All the other farming unions are represented by their presidents, except the Ulster Farmers’ Union, which has appointed its deputy president, Victor Chestnutt.

Ms Batters said: “Today’s announcement is a hugely important development in our campaign to ensure UK farming’s high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection are not undermined in future trade deals.

Broader

“It is, however, one part of a much broader challenge our farmers face in ensuring the UK’s trade policy delivers a prosperous and sustainable future for them.”

Sarah Williams of the Greener UK coalition raised concerns about the commission’s lack of power.

She said: “Without big improvements, this commission will be little more than a fig leaf for the Government’s continued failure to commit in law to banning sub-standard imports.

Transparency

“The body lacks the required transparency and powers to maintain standards in future trade deals and its membership raises serious questions over its ability to address environmental issues.

“Time is running out for Government to fulfil its promise of maintaining high food, environmental and animal welfare standards.”

The Commission will be set up for six months and submit an advisory report at the end of its work which will be presented to Parliament by the Department for International Trade.

It will advise on:

• Trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, while ensuring the sector remains competitive and that animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.
• Advancing and protecting British consumer interests and those of developing countries.
• How the UK engages the WTO to build a coalition that helps advance higher animal welfare standards across the world.
• Developing trade policy that identifies and opens up new export opportunities for the UK agricultural industry – in particular for SMEs – and that benefits the UK economy as a whole.