Farming tomorrow. British agriculture after Brexit

Policy Exchange is a UK think tank. It is an educational charity with a mission to develop and promote new policy ideas which deliver better public services, a stronger society and a more dynamic economy.

Its research predominantly falls under three main themes

+ Jobs and Growth
+ Poverty and Social Mobility
+ Public Services
Farming Tomorrow, was a report from Policy Exchange published in August 2017. It set out 'the once in a generation chance we have to reform Britain’s environmental policy and approach to farming after Brexit'.

The authors argued that the Common Agricultural Policy had, at great expense, reduced agricultural productivity by lessening competition and supporting inefficient farmers, and increased costs for consumers. Outside the EU, the UK would be free to abolish tariffs on food products, which would unlock new trade deals, help developing countries and deliver cheaper food for consumers. The UK would also reform the agricultural subsidies regime so that the country rewarded farmers who delivered public goods like biodiversity and flood prevention, rather than rewarding wealthy landowners.

Recommendations in the report
+ After leaving the EU Customs Union, the UK should unilaterally phase out tariffs that increase consumer food prices and complicate new trade deals.
+ The UK should replace the CAP with a new British Agricultural Policy which focuses on payments for ecosystem services (or natural capital) and phases out production subsidies and income support by 2025. Any remaining subsidies should be redirected towards protection for natural and public goods, and increasing R&D to boost innovation and the sector’s long-term productivity.
+ Government should ensure that its Industrial Strategy reflects the needs of the rural economy, and should redirect some agricultural subsidies towards rural infrastructure and connectivity and agricultural R&D.
+ The UK should review and reform EU rules such as the crop diversification rule and transpose key environmental directives to ensure continuity of protection for the environment.
+ The Food Safety Agency should be given new powers to collate, commission, and review scientific evidence on food safety and animal welfare.

• Primary Source

Farming tomorrow. British agriculture after Brexit (Policy Exchange, 2017) https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/farming-tomorrow/

United Kingdom: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Speech, 21.07.17: The Unfrozen Moment - Delivering A Green Brexit (United Kingdom: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Speech, 21.07.17) http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-unfrozen-moment-delivering-a-green-brexit/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

NFU: News, 03.08.17: NFU President responds to Policy Exchange report https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/nfu-president-responds-to-policy-exchange-report/

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