MP welcomes launch of trade and agriculture commission

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.

MP for Leigh, James Grundy, said: “I am very pleased that the Government has today created the Trade and Agriculture Commission. The Government of which I am a member stood for election on a promise to maintain our agricultural and environmental standards, and the establishment of this body is a major step forward in keeping that promise.

“I also hope this will also reassure my constituents that the repeated rumours that our shelves will be flooded with low quality products after Brexit were completely untrue.

“This new body will assure that our agricultural producers will have their interests protected at home, and advanced abroad, to ensure Britain has a strong trade policy going forward.”

International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, said: “We’re stepping up our engagement with all the groups who have an interest in Britain’s agriculture trade policy. The Trade and Agriculture Commission will ensure the voices of the public and industry are heard, and that their interests are advanced and protected. It will advise the government on how Britain can remain a world-leader in animal welfare and environmental standards, and how we can seize new export opportunities for our farmers.

“This is about putting British farming at the heart of our trade policy and ensuring that our agriculture industry is amongst the most competitive and innovative in the world.”