HCC Chief Executive Gwyn Howells addressed a Committee of Senedd Members last week.
He delivered a stark warning about the challenges of finding the middle ground in future policy which would enable consumers to enjoy a secure source of sustainably-produced food.
The Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee was hearing from agricultural experts on the possible impacts of the new Free Trade Agreements with Australia.
Politicians heard that the UK farming sector was concerned that the trade deals which had been struck with two of the most significant red meat exporting countries had the potential to distort the domestic market.
The UK Government’s Impact Assessment of the Australian Free Trade Agreement estimates that the value of the domestic agriculture sector could reduce by £94million, in favour of increased opportunities for manufacturing and other industries.
In his evidence, Gwyn Howells emphasised that sustainability and food security had to be taken into account.
“It may be short-sighted to be increasing food imports from across the world, which may be produced to lower standards than our food, when at the same time we’re rightly pushing for sustainability,” he said.
“It’s an anomaly that while sustainability is rightly driving future food and farming policy, there’s little discussion of food security,” said Gwyn. “It’s essential to count the carbon cost of food imported, allowing for the different production systems in other countries and the cost of transportation.”
Gwyn added, “In Wales we have one of the most sustainable red meat agriculture sectors anywhere in the world. We need to find a policy sweet spot in the middle between producing food which drives economic activity and at the same time doing it in a sustainable way.”
The evidence session also discussed likely trade flows over the coming years. Gwyn Howells said that while there were no immediate increases in import volumes from Australia, there were long-term trends that caused concern.
“Currently, production in Australia is low due to droughts, but livestock levels are forecast to rise in the coming years,” he said. “It’s true that significant exports from Australia and New Zealand are going to Asia at the moment, but that could change due to political circumstances, and there’s little future-proofing in these new trade deals for UK farmers.”
