Leadsom wants to protect farming standards in US deal

Defra secretary Andrea Leadsom has indicated that she would not want British farming’s high production standards to be lowered in any future US-UK trade deal. 

Fear that UK agriculture might have to compete with American imports produced to lower standards have been bubbling over the past few weeks, after a number of politicians suggested farming should be used as a bargaining chip with the US.

However, when asked at the NFU conference whether standards would be lowered, Mrs Leadsom said she was “committed to ensuring a level playing field to our high standards”.

See also: Public would be ‘appalled’ if UK adopted US food standards

High welfare and food standards were a key selling point of UK farming and she would not seek to disadvantage the UK by changing this.

Tom Rigby, Lancashire dairy farmer and former NFU county chairman, asked Mrs Leadsom: “How can we make sure a US juggernaut doesn’t push our Red Tractor into the ditch?”

Mrs Leadsom answered: “I’m a huge fan of Red Tractor and nothing is going to push that into a ditch.”

Cheaper US standards

There have been worries that cheaper America production standards, such as the use of hormones in beef cattle, could lower UK standards.

Ian Wright, director general of the Food and Drink Federation, who also attended the conference, said UK exports had been “absolutely spectacular” over the past 12 months, increasing 10% due to the weak pound, with the US and China accounting for much of that increase.

“Our food exporting potential is untapped – there is a real opportunity,” he said.

However, he warned: “Over the short and medium term, the need to protect and enforce our trade agreement with Europe is critical to absolutely everyone in this room.”