Thread by @SoilAssociation

🇬🇧🚜Today is a crucial day for the future of food & farming in the UK

Amongst other things, Govt. decisions today will affect the

🐔quality of food we import
🚜way our food is produced

We need your help to raise awareness of some amendments which must be made to the #AgriBill

✊🚜💚🌍 There has never been a more joined-up coalition of farming & environmental organisations all calling for the same thing

Despite this, the Govt. has continuously failed to protect British food & farming standards in the #AgriBill / #TradeBills ow.ly/gYqs50ArABf

The implications for farmers?

"As a farmer, it could mean my production is undermined by cheap imports from countries with lower standards than in the UK. For society, it could mean we won't have the ability to buy food from local & sustainable supply chains"@hayneoak #AgriBill

The implications for people?

Failure to protect 🇬🇧 food & farming standards will directly affect what we see on the supermarket shelves, in school & hospital food & in restaurants

Failure to protect 'label of origin' transparency also takes away people choice to avoid #AgriBill

So far, public discussion around the impact of trade deals in the UK has centred on #ChlorinatedChicken.

Rightly, this is concerning. The practice of chlorine washing masks poor animal welfare in the supply chain.

More detail on that here #AgriBill

https://twitter.com/SoilAssociation/status/1270689085242388481

But there are more issues e.g. antibiotic use 💊

🇬🇧 farmers have cut their preventative #antibiotic use by 50% in just 4 years. Antibiotic use in 🇺🇸 is 5 x higher than in the UK & is rising. The threat of #AntibioticResistance is growing #AgriBill

saveourantibiotics.org/media/1834/far…

In both the 🇺🇸 & 🇦🇺, around 3 X the number of pesticides are approved for use, compared to the UK.

UK #pesticide standards must not be undermined in trade negotiations, exposing citizens to toxic chemicals & undercutting 🇬🇧 farmers

#AgriBill ow.ly/64oS50A2L0T

Some UK retailers, in tune with the 🇬🇧 public, have already made commitments not to sell substandard food, imported from countries, which don't have food & farming standards which match our own 💚🍲🚜

#AgriBill
thetimes.co.uk/edition/busine…

✍️ UK Govt. must follow suit & ensure protection for 🇬🇧 food & farming standards is written into the #AgriBill

We must not allow the Bill to be passed, without public scrutiny, whilst many are distracted with #COVID19

Here are our Govt. asks for Bill 👉 ow.ly/gYqs50ArABf

Please share - thanks in advance @UKSustain @SusFoodTrust @natalieben @EmmaKennedy @DeborahMeaden @NFUtweets @Minette_Batters @JoeWStanley @organicUK @HenryDimbleby @ProfTimLang @GreenPartyMolly @NFUPolitical @JolyonMaugham @BritishSave @LandworkersUK @PAN_UK @ASOAntibiotics

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