Over one million people signed the NFU petition asking the government to ensure future trade deals do not lead to an increase in food imports that would be illegal to produce here.
The debate will take place in the House of Commons on Monday 12 October 2020.
Arnold Warneken who has farmed at Goosemoor Organics in Cowthorpe for over 30 years said:
It is vital for the future of our Yorkshire farmers that Nigel Adams votes to support our high standards for food, animal welfare & environmental protection.
If the Agriculture Bill is passed without this crucial amendment, then the US will be able to offload poor quality food, from animals raised in poor conditions, into the UK market.
On Friday, 9 October 2020, a demonstration took place outside Andrew Jones MP’s office in Harrogate.
A small group of protesters with placards gathering outside the MP’s office as part of efforts across the county to get North Yorkshire MPs to vote against the Government’s Agriculture Bill.
They delivered a letter urging him to vote against Government plans to bring in meat from US as part of post-brexit trade deal with Trump.
Last May Andrew Jones and Nigel Adams didn’t support a rebel Tory amendment to the bill that would have banned imports of food from the US produced to lower standards than those required of UK farmers.
Josy Thompson said:
This could have huge consequences for livestock farmers in North Yorkshire who face being undercut by cheap, low welfare factory farmed meat – which wouldn’t even have to be labelled.
On Monday the bill comes back to the Commons and MPs will have another chance to back a new Lords amendment that would stop sub-standard meat treated with growth hormones, antibiotics/ chlorinated chicken etc being allowed in as part of Trump trade deal.
Opinion polls show 95% of the public oppose US food imports and more than 20 Tory MPs – including Tory MP for outer York , Julian Sturdy, coming out and saying they will support the amendment.
Selby Green Party is calling on Nigel Adams, MP for Selby & Ainsty, to support the Lords’ amendment to the Agriculture Bill.
Alex Marsh, also from Cowthorpe, added:
US farms use five times more antibiotics per animal than in the UK. This overuse is fuelling the rise in antibiotic resistance, which has grave risks for human health. The US also views nutrition labelling as a barrier to trade, and so shoppers in the UK could end up consuming meat without realising it is chlorinated or pumped with hormones, particularly when eating out.
Arnold said:
We urge Nigel Adams to honour his party’s manifesto pledge to maintain the high food standards for which Britain is renowned, and not allow post-Brexit Britain to toe Trump’s line.
