Protect British farmers and maintain our food standards
By Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Housing, Communities & Local Government and Food & Rural Affairs.
Originally published by UK Liberal Democrats
Family farming businesses are at risk as the Tories continue to botch our transition away from the EU agricultural system. That's why we are launching our new campaign to protect British farmers.
Today Liberal Democrats are launching our new campaign to protect British farmers and maintain our food standards.
I am deeply concerned that family farming businesses are at risk as the Tories continue to botch our transition away from the EU agricultural system.
Some farmers even risk losing up to half their entire income as the Government is blundering their way towards a new Environmental Land Management scheme.
Liberal Democrats support this new scheme, but the Tories are being much to slow - they are stubborn and out of touch with farmers.
Meanwhile, they're failing to commit to maintaining our high animal welfare and environmental standards for imported foods.
This would allow foreign imports to undercut responsible British farmers.
Farmers are the guardians of our landscape, they are the stewards of our countryside and vital allies in tackling the climate and ecological crises.
The Liberal Democrats are committed to maintaining the beauty and biodiversity of our countryside which is why we want to ensure public money goes towards public goods like restoring our peat bogs, creating new natural flood protections and managing land to encourage species recovery.
But the Tories risk forcing our family farmers out of business meaning we lose the very people who need to deliver these public goods.
Liberal Democrats back British farmers. We would:
- Ensure food imports from trade deals meet the UK's high animal welfare and environmental standards.
- Maintaining existing farm payments in full until the new Environmental Land Management scheme is fully rolled out.
- Enhance and protect the British countryside by supporting the farmers who manage the landscape.