A drop in UK pesticide standards as a result of a trade deal would also pose a significant economic threat to the future of UK agriculture. If UK food starts to contain higher levels of more toxic pesticides then British farmers will struggle to meet EU standards, thereby losing their primary export destination which currently accounts for 60% of UK agricultural exports. Equally concerning, British farmers could be undercut by a flood of imported crops grown more cheaply using pesticides that are banned for use in the UK due to the harms they cause.
In some cases, the UK allows residues of banned pesticides to appear in food imports. For example, a UK apple producer is not allowed to use the fungicide carbendazim which has been banned for domestic use since 2017. However, imported apples are allowed to contain residues of carbendazim. The UK Government’s own Trade and Agriculture Commission has highlighted this double standard as one of the key issues with both the Australia and New Zealand deals. It’s crucial that the Government protects British farming by defending pesticide standards, particularly in trade negotiations with agricultural powerhouses such as the US and India.