Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • September 2025
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. September 2025
    2. August 2025
    3. 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    4. July 2025
    5. June 2025
    6. 2025 Innovation supplement
    7. May 2025
    8. April 2025
    9. March 2025
    10. 2025 Buildings supplement
    11. February 2025
    12. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    13. January 2025
    14. December 2024
    15. November 2024
    16. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    17. October 2024
    18. September 2024
    19. August 2024
    20. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    21. July 2024
    22. June 2024
    23. 2024 Innovation supplement
    24. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    25. May 2024
    26. April 2024
    27. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    28. March 2024
    29. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    30. February 2024
    31. January 2024
    32. December 2023
    33. November 2023
    34. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    35. October 2023
    36. September 2023
    37. Health Supplement
    Featured

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025
    Recent

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025

    August 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    August 1, 2025

    2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement now available

    August 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Brexit

Four UK farming unions represented on Trade and Agriculture Commission

Alistair DriverBy Alistair DriverJuly 10, 20205 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Liz Truss

Representatives from each of the four UK farming unions will sit on the Government’s new Trade and Agriculture Commission, which will also include people representing retail, consumer, hospitality and environmental interests from across the UK.

The new new Commission, announced by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss last week, will be chaired by  ex-Tesco director and former head of the Food Standards Agency, Tim Smith.

Established prolonged lobbying led by NFU president Minette Batters, it will advise Government on ‘how to seize new export opportunities, while ensuring animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined’.

The full list of members announced today is:

  • Ex-Tesco Tech Director/FSA – Tim Smith (Chair) 
  • NFU England – Nick von Westenholz
  • NFU Scotland – Andrew McCornick
  • NFU Cymru – John Davies
  • Ulster Farmers Union – Victor Chestnutt
  • The Farmers Union of Wales – Glyn Roberts
  • Lamb Farmer – Rob Hodgkins
  • Institute of Economics Affairs- Shanker Singham
  • Former Chief Veterinary Officer – Nigel Gibbens
  • British Retail Consortium – Andrew Opie
  • Former Trade Minister – Lord Price
  • Trade Out Of Poverty – Tom Pengelly
  • Former Trade Minister and Agriculture Minister for New Zealand – Sir Lockwood Smith
  • UKHospitality – Kate Nicholls
  • Food and Drink Federation – Ian Wright CBE
  • LEAF – Caroline Drummond

The Government has also announced more details of its remit:

  • 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.

The scope of the Commission was agreed after close consultation between farming unions, the Department for International Trade and Defra. It will be set up for six months and submit an advisory report at the end of its work which will be presented to Parliament by the Department for International Trade.

 Ms Truss, said the UK’s ‘high food and animal welfare standards won’t be compromised in future trade deals. She said: “My officials and I are working round the clock to ensure that any trade deal we strike brings the very best opportunities to the UK’s farming community.

“We recognise the importance of engaging with the agriculture industry and seeking expert advice, which is why we have set up the Commission. We are putting British farming first and giving our producers the best opportunity to export their world class food abroad and grow their businesses.”

Mr Eustice said: “We have been consistently clear that we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in all of our trade negotiations.

“The Agriculture and Trade Commission will ensure that the UK’s agricultural industry, our support for farmers and our commitment to high welfare standards are maintained. This Government will work hard to ensure any future trade deals are in their best interests and will prioritise both food production and our world-leading environmental targets.”

Mr Smith said: “The trade decisions the Government is making now will shape the future not just of British food and farming, but the whole country, so it is important that the voices of industry and the British public are heard.

“This Commission will bring a clear-eyed perspective on what is fair and works for consumers, farmers, food producers and animals.”

Mrs Batters said the announcement was a ‘hugely important development in ensuring UK farming’s high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection are not undermined in future trade deals’.

“She said it would underpin the challenge of ‘securing trade deals that work for UK farmers and consumers, as well as our farmed animals and our environment’.

““The independence of the Commission is paramount, as is its accountability to Parliament. The role of the independent Chair will be critical, and we look forward to working with him in the weeks ahead to ensure the Commission meets the expectations and ambitions of all the consumers, campaigners and farmers who have demonstrated over recent months how important this issue is.”

She said the commission must produce a detailed roadmap on farm to fork trade policy for Parliament so MPs can understand what is required to ensure UK farming’s high production standards are safeguarded in our international trade policy.

“The Commission must also be able to scrutinise the details of our current trade negotiations, and advise Parliament accordingly, and it should set out a long-term vision for UK leadership on the global stage in promoting sustainable and climate friendly models of food production across the world,” she added.

 But the RSPCA, which is not represented, was unhappy with the make-up and strong industry representation of the commission. It said the lack of members from the animal welfare sector ‘sends warning signals that it is a ‘fig leaf’ which will fail to protect welfare standards’.

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleFlooding in China triggers fresh ASF outbreak
Next Article Here Comes Trouble
Alistair Driver

Editor Pig World, group editor Agronomist and Arable Farmer and Farm Contractor. National Pig Association webmaster. Former political editor at Farmers Guardian. Occasional media pundit. Brought up on a Leicestershire farm. Works from a shed in his Oxfordshire garden.

Read Similar Stories

Straw prices for the week ending September 7, 2025

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: An important change driven by the supply chain

September 3, 2025

Wildlife Trusts report ‘lacks context and hard evidence of pig sector environmental damage’ – NPA chief exec

September 2, 2025
Latest News

Straw prices for the week ending September 7, 2025

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: An important change driven by the supply chain

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: A commitment to welfare excellence

September 3, 2025
Sponsored Content

Enhancing Weaned Pig Health and Performance with Zinc and Iron

August 1, 2025

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1773 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1772 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1771 Australia

    • Queensland, Australia
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Weekly Tribune
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.