There has been much public uproar about the UK lowering its food standards via a trade deal to accept ‘chlorinated-chicken’. However, the risks related to pesticides are equally significant but the issue isn’t getting enough public attention so the Government doesn’t feel under as much pressure to protect standards. Trade [...]

Each of our Toxic Trade reports and briefings contains a full list of recommendations, many of which are specific to the Free Trade Agreement in question. The following recommendations for the UK Government apply to all trade agreements across the board: Do not allow any weakening of UK pesticide standards [...]

The UK is particularly vulnerable to weakening its pesticide regulation through trade deals. This is due to a combination of political pressure to conclude trade deals in order to recoup lost EU market access and ‘make a success’ of Brexit, pressure from some UK lobby groups, and the fact that [...]

No! Trade deals are designed to remove restrictions on the trade in goods and therefore aren’t the place to secure better standards. A closer look at the EU’s existing trade deals reveals the limited prospects for the UK to ‘export’ a more stringent approach to pesticide regulation. These deals don’t [...]

Bilateral trade deals are negotiated between two countries. Both sides set out what they hope to achieve through the deal and negotiate with each other accordingly until an agreement is reached. In contrast, multilateral trade deals have three or more member countries and the core agreement is negotiated between the [...]

The Precautionary Principle, which emerged in the 1970s, theoretically underpins all current UK decision-making on pesticides. It allows regulators to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high. For example, when evidence began to emerge that neonicotinoids were [...]

In theory, yes. The UK’s current pesticide standards offer better protection for human health and the environment than those of any non-EU country. Trade negotiations with all non-EU countries therefore pose a threat to UK pesticide standards as countries push to gain access to the UK market for their agricultural [...]

No, in fact it’s the opposite! Adopting strong Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and restricting the import of produce that contains residues of banned pesticides is not only good for UK consumers who benefit from having less pesticides in their food but also has the potential to drive positive action in [...]

No! Refusing to buy food from a particular country will not stop a trade deal from being signed. Boycotts can also risk having unintended, negative knock-on effects on farmers, especially in poorer countries. It is also often impossible to discern where food has come from, especially if it is contained [...]

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 [...]

Any weakening of UK pesticide standards via trade deals poses risks not just to human health but also to the environment. Trade partners such as the US and India have a history of challenging the EU’s relatively precautionary approach to which pesticides are allowed for use, and the UK is [...]

There are significant questions about the UK border testing regime for pesticides and whether it is extensive enough to detect shipments of food containing pesticide residues above the UK’s legal limits. Specifically: The UK tests a small fraction of produce that is imported or on sale to the public, only [...]

While far from perfect, UK pesticide standards are some of the strongest in the world in terms of protecting human health. However, these relatively high standards prevent other countries from exporting food to the UK and governments therefore push to weaken UK protections. If UK trade negotiators give way to [...]

A trade deal is an agreement between countries designed to remove restrictions on goods and services traded between them. The key area where trade and pesticides intersect is around the global trade in food which totals roughly $2 trillion per year. Countries set different safety limits for how much of [...]