This week there has been a debate in the cabinet about the post-Brexit trade deal with Australia, and it all comes down to the quality of the food on our plates, the impact on our environment and the future of our farming.
British farmers are set to lose out under the plans for a new trade deal with Australia, with the National Farmers Union President saying there’s a risk farmers “will suffer irreversible damage rather than flourish in the way we all desire, to the detriment of our environment, our food security and our rural communities”.
Under the terms of the proposed deal, farmers will be worse off than they were when we were in the EU – and the lowering of standards will mean a worse deal for consumers and the environment.
UK farming will be undercut by overseas farmers who produce food with lower standards, which is bad for the environment and for animal welfare. British farming as we know it would become unviable, creating either a race to the bottom – weakening our proud standards – or it would result in the closure of many British-owned farms.
And for consumers, it means supermarket shelves stocked with hormone-treated beef from Australia, and if this is the blueprint for the US trade deal, it means British people being served chlorine-washed chicken on their dinner plates. This despite all the promises and claims to the contrary.
But it’s not a done deal – we can still maintain our standards and protect our consumer rights, prioritise the environment and save our farms. Please sign our petitions to support farming and the environment at this crucial time.