Chickens coming home to roost

Hands up those who thought that BREXIT was supposed to reduce our reliance on food imports from Europe and safeguard animal welfare? Well, big shock, we were lied to. News that imports of eggs from Poland and elsewhere have increased by 2000%, (yes really, an extra zero 2000%), have been greeted with incredulity frustration and mounting anger amongst farmers and the egg industry in Britain.

In Britain we have a 'Red Lion' Stamp on eggs produced to a known standard of animal welfare, but because of higher costs of producing to this welcome high standard then farmers here have had to reduce output. So gaps in supermarket shelves have been filled by a massive increase in imports from countries where the animal welfare standards can be considerably lower and incidence of Salmonella much higher. Why should we be concerned? Because animal welfare matters for our health too. Salmonella is a significant and serious health risk and our farmers should be supported to produce to our higher standards and not undermined.

The reaction of the farming community can be judged by their booing of Thérèse Coffey, the Environment Secretary, at a recent National Farmers' Union conference. But farmers are not alone in their concerns, the government seems to be going further with new trade agreements with Mexico and elsewhere as the Guardian reported: "The RSPCA’s head of public affairs, David Bowles, said that in 1999 the UK government agreed to a ban on caged eggs: “The public has supported this ban by buying free range eggs and would be horrified if they knew low-welfare egg products are being sneaked into this country under the radar." Read the report in the Guardian.

This government has overseen a collapse in our economy, people struggling to put food on their table and reduction in quality and health standards. We need to demand secure food supplies from reputable sources, where health matters for us and the animals.

The LibDems are committed to: Guarantee that all future trade deals will maintain high health, environmental and animal welfare standards for food production, ensuring that Britain’s farmers and food manufacturers are not put at an unfair disadvantage. We will renegotiate the Australia and New Zealand trade agreements in line with these objectives, withdrawing from them if that cannot be achieved. Read more…

Cheap food is not all it is cracked up to be, health matters as well.