The National Farmers’ Union (NFU), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the RSPCA have called on the UK government to demonstrate international leadership by introducing core animal welfare and environmental standards for agri-food imports.
According to the NFU, the government made a commitment in a manifesto “to promote the highest standards when it comes to food production”
“Similarly, in its trade strategy, it recognised concerns about the unfair competitive advantages provided by different methods of production in global supply chains,” the NFU said.
This joint call comes as the organisations met with MPs and peers in parliament this week to discuss the impacts of UK trade deals and policies.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “British farmers are leading the way on sustainability and animal welfare. The UK’s trade policy must reflect that progress, not undermine it.
“Yet currently, food imported into this country is not subject to minimum animal welfare or environmental production standards. This means currently food can be imported that would be illegal for our farmers to produce here.”
Bradshaw further said that at a time when Defra is consulting on raising domestic animal welfare standards, it is “only right” that the government protects consumers from lower standard imports.
He added that the government should also ensure “British farmers are not unfairly forced to compete with products that would be illegal to produce here”.
“As a start, we are asking for government to establish a working group, including external experts, to identify priority core standards and consider their feasibility for implementation and audit.” Bradshaw said.
Angela Francis, director of policy solutions at WWF said: “UK trade policy is undermining the environment, farmers and the high animal welfare and farming standards the public expects by not requiring food imports to meet the same standards as UK farmers.
“We urgently need to ensure that the same rules that apply here also apply to food produced abroad so that the UK market safeguards the environment and backs farmers and producers, at home and overseas, who are leading the way on sustainability.”
David Bowles, head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA said: “It is essential that the government puts core animal welfare standards into its policy thinking.
Whilst we support raising standards for laying hens and pigs in the animal welfare strategy, there is no point in doing this if we just outsource our standards to other countries.”
Bowles further said that there is a need for a “vibrant farming industry” producing to high animal welfare standards supported by core standards in trade deals.
