In Parliament, Dr Neil Hudson MP continued his campaign to cement core agri-food, environmental and animal welfare standards in trade agreements as well as better implementation of border checks for animal, plant and food imports.
Sitting on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, veterinary MP Dr Hudson quizzed expert witnesses from WWF, Sustain, Feedback and the British Egg Industry Council on the coherence of the UK's agri-food trade strategy. This comes as the UK looks to resolve FTA negotiations with Canada, continue its talks with the Gulf States and India, and is admitted to the CPTPP.
Alongside new trading opportunities, our departure from the EU has allowed the Conservative Government to bolster biosecurity with the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model. BTOM represents a new chapter in safety and security controls for food imports and Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls for live animals, plants and associated products.
These new border controls present opportunities to better control animal and plant diseases entering the country - which also can pose a significant risk to human public health - as well as making sure all food imports match our high standards to give consumers peace of mind.
Hearing from witnesses, Dr Hudson was keen to reinforce his and the Government's commitments to a host of agri-food issues such as banning hormone-treated beef, ractopamine-treated pork and chlorine washed poultry. While this is a red line for Government, Dr Hudson is keen to see this expressed in an over-arching holistic agri-food trading strategy that would signal to the international community the UK's world-leading standards and bring other nations up to our levels.
Dr Hudson previously chaired a session on this Inquiry which heard from economics professors, trade experts and agri-food specialists. To read more about the issues, visit: https://www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/dr-neil-hudson-mp-chairs-commons-select-committee-inquiry-british-agriculture-new-uk-trade
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
"We have the highest production standards in the world when it comes to the agri-food industry, the environment and animal welfare.
"I am incredibly proud of this and now we have an exciting opportunity to raise standards from our trading partners across the world.
"I am looking forward to cementing this in an overarching trade strategy moving forward and standing up for strong borders when it comes to biosecurity."
