Post Brexit Agriculture

Faust

What about sentient beings i.e. the creatures - it's nice that you can dismiss them in this manner in exchange for a 'bargain' - what a depressing sentiment.

I regularly see those in food poverty in our local 'late store'.  iPhone in one hand, often a packet of fags in the other, buying cheap Pizza's and the like.  You don't have to spend a lot to eat well, though it does take a modicum of effort i.e. preparing and cooking it.  Still I suppose if it's a choice between actually getting up of one's backside and doing something or watching Jeremy Kyle then we know which will win.

One local food bank near where I live has started to use 'spotters' as people have been arriving a street or more away in taxis and cars then claiming they have nothing.

IronGiant

No one is claiming the EU doesn't need reform as it clearly does.  However, I have read enough reports on American food rearing standards to know that is not the way I want UK farming to go.  I don't eat veal BTW but I do always buy the red tractor label.

IronGiant

Any reason why you think we would start growing GM crops (given that we have our own ban in place) and adopting American farming practices?

Faust

If you follow 'Today in Parliament' you will have noted that more and more trials of GM crops are being allowed in the UK along with some pretty heavy lobbying from the Aggro industries.

It's now being talked about not 'if' but 'when' GM crops will be allowed in the UK.  Many observers are saying 'very soon after we exit the EU'.

There was a big piece on Countryfile a while back about the huge American farms.  A number of UK farmers openly stated they want to do the same in the UK.  One farmer has already put in plans to do this.

Faust

I don't know where to begin with countering your flawed arguments.

Food poverty is real despite your in depth analysis of those you see shopping. Prices ARE 8% higher than the prevailing world market price. That may not impact you much, it does impact others.

Who says that buying on the world market means accepting GM? We will have the freedom to impose whatever standards we choose.

Even if we did accept GM... so what? The catastrophic impact of GM in the US has been...? Higher productivity and lower food prices. Oh no. What a disaster.

Faust

Food for thought on food poverty...

More than 8 million in UK struggle to put food on table, survey says

Faust

More GM crops are being grown in Europe than the in the UK (perhaps not surprising given the difference in land mass) so I'm still not sure what Brexit has to do with it.

IronGiant

If it's the episode I think it was that was in April 2016, before the referendum.    So although we may be slipping down the slope towards GM crops and indoor cattle Brexit doesn't seem to have much to do with it.

Faust

I'm assuming you have access to data on the long term health benefits/health problems linked to GM?  Can I also make the same assumption regarding the health of the eco system where GM is used.  We have already seen the adverse impact of Neonicotinoids on bee population and health years down the line from when they were first approved.

GM could well be a similar time bomb.  If people want good value at great prices and 100% British meat products etc. they should try Lidl.

UK households throw away a huge amount of food into waste each year - quite shocking.  This problem should be addressed not an ever increasing race to the bottom.  Some of the discrepancy in food prices comes from the UK having some of the best farming practices in the world i.e. compassion for their animals.  This has to come at a cost.  However, many studies have shown that this is what the British public wants to see.

IronGiant

I think Brexit will have a great amount of impact on this.  If the UK has to compete with the likes of New Zealand (who now have virtually no subsides thanks to the way the UK treated them in 1974) then something has to give.  

Many in the farming sector see the answer as being farming on an industrial scale.