The Committee invites evidence on the impact on the UK food and
farming sectors of potential new trading arrangements with the EU
after Brexit.
The Committee wishes to examine how a potential trade deal could
affect farmers, food processors and consumers.
UK goods and services can currently move freely between countries
in the EU’s single market. The EU’s customs union also imposes
standard tariffs on products traded into the UK from non-EU
countries. A new framework for trading food and agricultural
products across European borders will present new opportunities
and challenges for the UK’s agri-food sector.
MP, Chair of the Committee,
said:
“The food and farming sector is a key part of the UK economy,
contributing some £108 billion annually and employing around 3.9
million people. The country’s half a million farmers produce 60%
of the food eaten in the UK and manage some 70% of the land area.
It is vital that future trade arrangements allow farmers and food
processors to compete effectively. We welcome views on the steps
that the Government and agri-food sector need to take to enable
farmers and processors to sell more of their produce at home and
abroad. We also want to hear views on how trade policies
can best allow UK consumers access to affordable, good quality
food after Brexit.”
The Committee invites interested parties to submit written
evidence by 20 October on:
1. What challenges and opportunities will the UK
food and farming sectors face from new trade arrangements with EU
countries after the UK leaves the European Union?
2. What trade policy objectives should Defra/ the UK
Government establish in order to achieve the right balance
between the interests of food consumers, producers and
processors, and the environment?
3. How effective are the Government’s arrangements for
consulting the food and farming sector and for representing their
interests within the UK’s negotiations with the EU?
4. How effective are the Government’s arrangements for
representing the interests of the four nations within the UK’s
negotiations for trade in food?
5. What can farmers, food producers and processors, and
government do to prepare for changes to trading arrangements,
including to improve production and to reduce trading
costs?
The Committee will look at specific agricultural sectors
in-depth: evidence which refers to the experiences of the sheep
and lamb, beef, dairy, pork, poultry, horticultural and cereals
industry are particularly welcome. An initial examination
of the sheep production and processing sector is planned for the
autumn.
[Note: The Committee is not specifically
addressing labour impacts of Brexit as a short
report published by Efra in the last Parliament covered
these issues.
