BCPC Food Chain Forum
The impact of new EU legislation on UK food production, availability and price.
6th June 2008
The production of potatoes, leafy vegetables and wheat in the UK will fall by up to 60% - and the result will be at least a doubling – in some cases trebling - of price. Worse still, production of many home-grown fruit and vegetables – such as peas, beans, onions, carrots, lettuce and strawberries - will become uneconomic, so these will simply disappear from supermarket shelves. This will happen in the next 5-10 years. These were the startling conclusions from a recent BCPC Food Chain Forum, The impact of new EU legislation on UK Food production, availability and price, held for fifty food chain stakeholders – growers, advisors, retailers, consumer organizations and government representatives.
Presentations by the UK Pesticides Safety Directorate and independent advisors showed that EU legislation, already well advanced in the Commission and Parliament, could lead to loss of over 80% of the products essential for farmers to produce these crops, and in many cases there would be no effective solutions at all - with devastating effect on food availability and price. Consumers and retailers would have to accept radical changes in diet, since those fruit and vegetables which were still available would cost at least twice as much, and would often be damaged by disease and insects. The effects would not be confined to UK produce, since the legislation affects all European food production – so other imports from Europe could also become unavailable
The meeting heard that pesticides in Europe are already highly regulated - and no benefit to human health of the proposed legislation has been shown. It was also told that a move to organic systems would increase reduce production and raise prices - and would lead to environmental damage. For example the removal of products for disease control would need 25% more energy – and up to 40% more land to be farmed – for every tonne of wheat grown.
The event was described as a “wake-up call” to the consequences of EU legislation that has so far proceeded unnoticed, and it was concluded that Ministers and MEPs must act swiftly, before the legislation proceeds further in Brussels.
Agenda
The regulatory background - a guide to the proposals and implementation process
Colin Ruscoe, Chairman, BCPE
The impact on crop protection product availability to UK farmers and growers - examples from key crops
David Richardson, Chief Agronomist PSD
The scale of effects on agrochemical usage across arable and horticultural crops - what active substances will remain?
Cathy Knott, Consultant
The impact of the legislation on the environment - some consequences
Jim Orson, Research & Technical Director, The Arable Group
The effects of the legislation on food availability, quality and price - examples from key arable and horticultural crops
James Clarke, Science and Business Development Manager, ADAS
Conclusions of the Meeting
Open Letter to the Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn
Letter from the Prime Minister
For further information please contact Dr Colin Ruscoe at expro@bcpc.org