Help a non farmer understand

[TheShrike]

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?

 

[Paul E]

Support your local butcher and/or farm shop.
We all know Tesco et al will fill millions of trolleys with the cheapest crap available - what we - as an industry need is good people like yourself who buy on quality not price. Thanks for that, keep up the good work, and tell your friends.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Feels journalistic this.

And on that basis.

 

[Munkul]

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.

 

[TheShrike]

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???

 

[bumkin]

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?

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]

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

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

 

[TheShrike]

I couldn't agree more...what is more important that what you feed your kids!

 

[Bald Rick]

- Im the guy who annoys you all with the flashing ads that follow you around the internet

Well stop it. I only looked at Victoria’s Secrets webpage once ... and am in no need of a Russian bride. Ta

 

[TheShrike]

Haha...delete those cookies!!

 

[bumkin]

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

no if what they say is not twisted!

 

[Bald Rick]

Haha...delete those cookies!!

Actually I was quite tempted by Svetlana, 24

 

[deleted user 837354]

You need to stop reading twitter for starters.

As for food safety, heck, we've had BSE, Salmonella and horse meat from the Irish(?), might as well let the yanks have a go.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Actually I was quite tempted by Svetlana, 24

All looks cheap until a divorce is involved.

 

[steveR]

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?

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

 

[thesilentone]

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?

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]

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

The blonde ballbag is a Yankee anyway

 

[Veryfruity]

All looks cheap until a divorce is involved.

If the bride is of non eu origin you can claim the vat

 

[teslacoils]

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.

 

[upnortheast]

Avoid Mr Tesco & his mates. They are only interested in their margin
Support your local butcher, farm shop & similar who can tell you the full back story of what they sell.