A new Trade and Agriculture Commission has been set up by the Department for International Trade to provide expert advice to government – ensuring that UK trade policy upholds high standards and boosts opportunities for farmers.
Therese said: "This is hugely important for our part of the country as the East England exports over £2bn in food and drink each year and currently employs 36,000 people."
The Commission will ensure our high standards are upheld and our farmers are able seize new opportunities to export their goods abroad. This will help the UK agriculture sector to be amongst the most competitive and innovative in the world.
The Commission was established to bring together stakeholders across the industry, calling on their expertise to advise on:
- Trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers while ensuring the sector remains competitive and that animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.
- Advancing and protecting British consumer interests and those of developing countries.
- How the UK engages the WTO to build a coalition that helps advance higher animal welfare standards across the world.
- Developing trade policy that identifies and opens up new export opportunities for the UK agricultural industry – in particular for SMEs – and that benefits the UK economy as a whole
