The NFU is encouraging many more people to sign its petition on food standards, which has won support from celebrity Jamie Oliver and been backed by more than 830,000.
Buoyed by coverage in The Mail on Sunday , NFU President Minette Batters affirms the success of the petition “will send a very strong signal to the Government about the strength of public feeling about food safety and security.”
It calls for government to put in place legislation that prevents the importation of food to the UK which is produced in ways that would be illegal here.
Exwood: Back British farming and sign our petition
NFU South East Regional Board chairman David Exwood agrees. He says:
“It is great to see so much support, this means so much to us as farmers. We’d strongly encourage people to sign our petition now – let’s make it more than a million signatures. Public support for farming has grown during the pandemic, along with recognition of the importance of a safe and secure supply of food.
“This should not be jeopardised in any future international trade deals, so back British farming and sign our petition.”
The online petition can be signed online.
The petition says:
I want the food I eat to be produced to world leading standards.
Our Government should ensure that all food eaten in the UK – whether in our homes, schools, hospitals, restaurants or from shops – is produced in a way that matches the high standards of production expected of UK farmers. Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of food security and traceability.
I believe the UK Government should seize the opportunities of ‘Global Britain’ to promote sustainable models of production and consumption across the world.
Farming throughout the UK has high standards of safety and welfare with an ambition to be net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. There are very strict controls on farming methods allowed in the UK and I expect the same of all food which is imported here so the food I eat is as safe, traceable and produced to high welfare and environmental standards.
Before the UK begins to negotiate trade deals with countries around the world, I call on the UK Government to put into law rules that prevent food being imported to the UK which is produced in ways that would be illegal here.
News shared by Isobel on behalf of the NFU. Ed
Image: Benjamin Davies under CC BY 2.0
