Foodlaw-Reading

Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK

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Food Law News - UK - 2021

Dept for International Trade, 4 March 2021

BREXIT / TRADE - Independent report - Trade and Agriculture Commission: Final Report

Trade and Agriculture Commission: Final Report

A copy of the report is available on this site (click on image)

Provided uder the Open Government Licence. The original web page can accessed from:

This is an extensive report and the Executive Summary is also long. Given below is only the introduction to the Executive Summary:

Executive Summary

We are at a crossroads.

A nation’s approach to liberalisation of trade in agricultural commodities is seen by trading partners as totemic; a litmus test. What we must resolve is a tough nut to crack. We are trying to plot a path on which we confidently embrace an open, liberalised trade strategy, and a genuinely reciprocal approach to negotiations. Meanwhile we are trying to safeguard important standards in a way that is not protectionist or trade distorting. It is a path which promises that we will show genuine leadership on climate, environmental, ethical and welfare issues. We will not undermine decades of solid, hard-won progress, nor will we ‘offshore’ the impacts of food consumption in the UK. This approach demands that we provide clarity in our vision, principles and recommendations. If we are ambitious and positive in our outlook, we will overcome the danger of inertia.

The UK has been navigating a path through some of the most uncertain weeks and months that any of us have experienced in our lifetime. When this Commission started its work in July 2020, the unrelentingly complex process of reaching an agreement with the EU had not reached a conclusion. COVID-19 was placing unprecedented pressures on our public services, businesses and people. But as we publish this report at the start of the new year, there is a sense of fresh optimism about what is ahead. The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement means the UK leaves the EU customs union and single market with a clear framework, with a zero tariff, zero quota arrangement at its centre. It is a crucially important milestone, and, whilst there is proving to be an inevitable period of adjustment and initial disruption, the agreement has provided the country with reassurance. Meanwhile COVID-19 is still the backdrop for everyday lives, but the vaccination programme gives us all hope of a return to normality.

Through these recent months, our food and farming system has remained steadfast and resilient. This is testament to the expertise and determination of the sector and the supply chain structures that have evolved over decades. After an initial flicker of panic, consumers have largely had continued access to the diverse, high quality and affordable food they are used to. If anything, food has become an even more central focus of daily life. That is not to downplay some of the challenges; food poverty is a problem which should by now have been consigned to the history books. Our hospitality sector has been particularly hard hit. Above all, the whole situation has been a reminder that we should not take our food supply for granted.

We now embark on a new phase, as an independent nation, of crafting and discharging a progressive new trade policy. The UK can present its vision for trade to the world. We can make a clear statement about our priorities, our level of ambition, how we want our global value chains to work and what we want to achieve with our trading partners. We must do this quickly but in a measured, thoughtful way. The world is watching us with interest to see what path we take. What we do in the coming months will set the tone for some time to come. We need to signal that we are not going to remain constrained by our former membership of the EU, and that we are genuinely open to new, liberalised trading relationships. 2021 is also a pivotal year for international engagement. Our Presidency of the G7 and role as host nation of the COP26 give us a unique confluence of opportunities to show strength and leadership.

 

This brings us back to the critical challenge identified at the outset. We need to be clear about our strategy and create coherence across different government departments, before we sit down at the negotiating table.

It is clear that the farming sector is among those most affected by EU exit. The shift away from decades of subsidy and control from the Common Agricultural Policy means that the sector is going to need to recalibrate to a fully competitive scenario. The industry will restructure and many, but not all, will adapt. There is a lot at stake; our farmers are not just producers of food, but custodians of our countryside, natural environment and biodiversity, and the bedrock of rural communities. Trade will be key to competitiveness, and expectations of the sector from new exporting opportunities are high. It is expecting to unlock an array of new opportunities for meat, dairy, cereals, fish, whisky and a host of other iconic UK products.

Our consumers, although prioritising price, are also excited by the possibility of having more choice of products from around the world. We are all becoming ever more discerning of where our food is from and how it is produced. Increasingly, environmental footprint, ethical factors and animal welfare are shaping our decision making. Transparency is critical throughout the supply chain. Traceability provides a knowledge of provenance. Labelling has a role, and in particular country of origin labelling and third-party assurance schemes provide convenient ways to signal that the product has reached a certain standard. Familiar examples would include Fairtrade, Red Tractor and the Rainforest Alliance. But, with busy lives, people often don’t have the time to scrutinise what they buy and expect the reassurance that the government has this in hand and that they can shop freely in the knowledge that basic standards are being adhered to and that there is traceability throughout the supply chain.

For some, this trust in the framework of standards has recently been eroded. High environmental, ethical and animal welfare standards that have been built up in our domestic food system, over many decades. They appear to be threatened by the potentially pernicious impact of signing agreements with countries whose food standards appear to be weaker than our own. Farming unions, businesses, civil society, consumer groups and celebrities have lined up to push for a safeguarding of these important standards.

In response, we have articulated a vision of the future success that the UK government should aim for when developing and deploying a trade strategy. This vision is reflected in a series of 6 principles that we suggest should guide government in this work.

See also related news item: 3 March 2021 BREXIT / TRADE - CIEH welcomes Trade and Agriculture Commission report


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