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Hormone-fed beef and chlorine-washed chicken should be banned in England after Brexit. The government has been warned about this. The ministers said the issue would be worked out in the upcoming trade bill.
Opponents of the practice, however, say it could lead to bargaining on the value of agriculture in the negotiations. Instead, they want ministers to guarantee food quality in the Agriculture Bill, which returns to the House of Commons on Wednesday (May 13, 2020).
Some Conservative MPs have joined the opposition to protect English farmers from inferior products from countries like the United States.
Farmers there are allowed to feed beef with hormones and wash chickens with chlorine solution in order to maximize productivity.
But both of these practices are currently banned in the EU. The US demands that ban should be lifted.
A government spokesperson said existing protections would not be compromised in trade negotiations.
The issue is part of a great upheaval in UK farm and countryside policy – the biggest since World War II.
The UK government wants to shift farm grants to reward activities that enhance the environment.
Its opponents are concerned at the lack of clarity over exactly how the transformation will happen, and want the changes to be delayed.
Minsters are likely to suffer huge pressure in the Commons on the question of food import standards.
They face almost identical amendments to the Bill from some Conservative back-benchers; the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee; and the Labour and Liberal Democrat front benches. They are all calling for a level playing field on food standards.
Jyoti Fernandes, from the Landworkers' Alliance, a union of farmers and other land-based workers, said: "The Agriculture Bill is a historic moment to make or break our food system. Find more...
Source: Online/SZK
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