Help a non farmer understand

T

TheShrike

Member
Non farmer "civilian" here but I'm trying to understand what I'm hearing come out about the proposed US-UK trade deal and how its going to affect farming and farmers in the UK.

Its quite frankly scaring the sh!t out of me.

- UK market flooded with cheap meat and grain that uses processes and chemicals currently banned here.
- UK farmers likely forced drop to use similar standards to compete
- Country of origin labeling will be gone and under WTO it would allow the US to sue the UK for damages if it was used.
- We could have a technically have a "Buy British" advertising campaign but at point of sale, the consumer wont know if it really is British.
- The US are pressing for the UK to allow use of currently banned pesticides such as neonicotinoids which have been proven to decimate bee colonies and other pollinators.
- Organic food no longer truly organic as the US and UK definition is different.

Is there any silver lining here? As someone who always buys free range/organic/farmers market direct whenever I can, this sort of stuff fills me with dread.

Do you guys feel like this is all a done deal? Do you have any say in what happens? Am I right to be worried?
 
ollie989898

ollie989898

Member
Location
Hanging from a twig, in a deep sleep.
Feels journalistic this.

And on that basis.

df1752e5cc87c76287ca6559517d9fda.jpg
 
M

Munkul

Member
It seems like it's a done deal, behind our backs.
It WILL affect our supermarkets and the meat products they stock. Which will have a knock-on effect for the farm prices.

How much so.... not really sure. It might drive the beef market down quite a way, because the scale of some of those beef and dairy farms over there... beggars belief.

But, we don't really know.
I certainly won't be buying US meat.
 
T

TheShrike

Member
Ha, not a journo (but I do work for a paper - but in the ads dept - Im the guy who annoys you all with the flashing ads that follow you around the internet).

I'm just a concerned consumer. I've been lurking here since the brexit ref to try and understand the sentiment. My tweet feed is currently full of "leaks" from the trade talks which are worrying me about what I'll be feeding me and my family.

All I'm asking for is some genuine re-assurance that all those tweets on my feed are not necessarily all going to come to pass and we'll not all be eating imported slop come 2021.

I'm hoping there will still be a market for higher standard food, but the labeling element of the talks seems to make that really difficult.

......And are farmers generally unwilling to talk to journalists???
 
B

bumkin

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
pembrokeshire
TheShrike said:
Non farmer "civilian" here but I'm trying to understand what I'm hearing come out about the proposed US-UK trade deal and how its going to affect farming and farmers in the UK.

Its quite frankly scaring the sh!t out of me.

- UK market flooded with cheap meat and grain that uses processes and chemicals currently banned here.
- UK farmers likely forced drop to use similar standards to compete
- Country of origin labeling will be gone and under WTO it would allow the US to sue the UK for damages if it was used.
- We could have a technically have a "Buy British" advertising campaign but at point of sale, the consumer wont know if it really is British.
- The US are pressing for the UK to allow use of currently banned pesticides such as neonicotinoids which have been proven to decimate bee colonies and other pollinators.
- Organic food no longer truly organic as the US and UK definition is different.

Is there any silver lining here? As someone who always buys free range/organic/farmers market direct whenever I can, this sort of stuff fills me with dread.

Do you guys feel like this is all a done deal? Do you have any say in what happens? Am I right to be worried?
Click to expand...
our governments have always supported a cheap food policy, what one mp told me was british agriculture is insignificant its output is only .6% of gdp we can import inexpensive food what they cant see is we actually produce something its not like the service industry and food is one of the most important things along side water and shelter
 
Bald Rick

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
bumkin said:
our governments have always supported a cheap food policy, what one mp told me was british agriculture is insignificant its output is only .6% of gdp we can import inexpensive food what they cant see is we actually produce something its not like the service industry and food is one of the most important things along side water and shelter
Click to expand...

Also don’t forget that one of Sunak’s advisers suggested that farming U.K. was not important and that we should be like Singapore
 
steveR

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Gods own County, Shropshire of course
TheShrike said:
Non farmer "civilian" here but I'm trying to understand what I'm hearing come out about the proposed US-UK trade deal and how its going to affect farming and farmers in the UK.

Is there any silver lining here? As someone who always buys free range/organic/farmers market direct whenever I can, this sort of stuff fills me with dread.

Do you guys feel like this is all a done deal? Do you have any say in what happens? Am I right to be worried?
Click to expand...

IMO, there is very, very unlikely to be any "silver lining" for UK agriculture... Others have summed up the reasoning here already for you, but the real crux of the matter is that Bozzer and his Mates care not one fig for UK Agriculture. They don't understand or care that what is done here in farming, goes beyond "simply producing" food.

I suspect that the UK population as a whole will at least pay lip service to wanting standards of Imports to be comparable to those here. Many however, will have real and justifiable concerns on UK farming being sold down the river on the alter of free trade and keeping a sector of the Tory party happy.

Farming was promised a brave new furture in 2016 by Bozzer and his Brexiteer mates. Some believed, some didn't. The UK/US deal is more of the same, promises and undertakings that will be forgotten in 12 months...

To the OP, have a look at this thread and undertstand some of the double standards we are already seeing will be imposed here in Agriculture.

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index...tions-in-new-trade-deals.319808/#post-6982676
 
Last edited:
thesilentone

thesilentone

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
TheShrike said:
Non farmer "civilian" here but I'm trying to understand what I'm hearing come out about the proposed US-UK trade deal and how its going to affect farming and farmers in the UK.

Its quite frankly scaring the sh!t out of me.

- UK market flooded with cheap meat and grain that uses processes and chemicals currently banned here.
- UK farmers likely forced drop to use similar standards to compete
- Country of origin labeling will be gone and under WTO it would allow the US to sue the UK for damages if it was used.
- We could have a technically have a "Buy British" advertising campaign but at point of sale, the consumer wont know if it really is British.
- The US are pressing for the UK to allow use of currently banned pesticides such as neonicotinoids which have been proven to decimate bee colonies and other pollinators.
- Organic food no longer truly organic as the US and UK definition is different.

Is there any silver lining here? As someone who always buys free range/organic/farmers market direct whenever I can, this sort of stuff fills me with dread.

Do you guys feel like this is all a done deal? Do you have any say in what happens? Am I right to be worried?
Click to expand...


Please to see a 'civilian ' taking an interest. Have a trawl around the various threads on the Forum, you will find some of the answers.
 
Bald Rick

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
steveR said:
IMO, there is very, very unlikely to be any "silver lining" for UK agriculture... Others have summed up the reasoning here already for you, but the real crux of the matter is that Boris and his Mates care not one fig for UK Agriculture. They don't understand or care that what is done here in farming, goes beyond "simply producing" food.

I suspect that the UK population as a whole will at least pay lip service to wanting standards of Imports to be comparable to those here. Many however, will have real and justifiable concerns on UK farming being sold down the river on the alter of free trade and keeping a sector of the Tory party happy.

Farming was promised a brave new furture in 2016 by Bozzer and his Brexiteer mates. Some believed, some didn't. The UK/US deal is more of the same, promises and undertakings that will be forgotten in 12 months...

To the OP, have a look at this thread and undertstand some of the double standards we are already seeing will be imposed here in Agriculture.

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index...tions-in-new-trade-deals.319808/#post-6982676
Click to expand...

The blonde ballbag is a Yankee anyway
 
teslacoils

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
When folk go into a shop, the modern UK town allows veggie, vegan, organic, free range to all be bought easily.

Us imports will have no impact on your ability to make your choices. UK food will still be marked and accredited by the soil association , red tractor etc as applicable.

More choice seldom impacts consumers. By buying direct from farmers where possible you are doing the right thing.

Local and seasonal is the way to go.
 

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