Professor Explains What the UK/Canada Trade Disagreement Means for UK Farmers

By Olivia Miller

With talks between the UK and Canada breaking down over the trade of agriculture products such as beef and cheese, what does it mean for the farming industry and domestic trading in the UK?

Iain Fraser, Professor of Agri-Environmental Economics at the University's School of Economics, explains, "The farming sector has generally been keen to maintain high animal welfare standards which means not allowing the use of growth hormones in beef production. There have also been calls by Parliament for the UK government to place food standards within the law.

"More recently in 2023 the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee launched a call for evidence on food and agricultural trade. As you might expect the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), NFU and many others were strongly advocating for maintaining high food and production standards (especially with regard to animal welfare) including not allowing the use of growth hormones in animal production.

"We also know that many within farming did not welcome the trade deals we did with Australia and New Zealand—this was less to do with the quantities of trade involved but the precedents they set for how the UK might conduct negotiations.

"This current impasse in terms of trade negotiations with Canada means that we are maintaining our position regarding animal welfare standards, at least as far as beef imports are concerned and in line with the EU standards we have retained since EU exit.