Almost one million people have now backed a National Farmers’ Union (NFU) petition that calls on Britain’s food standards to be protected in future trade deals.
The petition is just a few thousand short of reaching the landmark. Only four bigger petitions have ever been submitted to the official government petition website since it began in 2015.
NFU eastern regional director Rachel Carrington said: “There has been an overwhelming public response to the petition, showing how much people care about food and how it’s produced. Our farmers work to high environmental, food safety and welfare standards and the public don’t want these to be compromised.
“Those signing our petition are calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government to ensure future trade deals do not allow for food imports that would be illegal to produce here.
“Thousands of people have also contacted MPs, asking them to support amendments to the Agriculture Bill when it comes back to the House of Commons for its final stages.”
The petition has been supported by Jamie Oliver and other high-profile figures. It is available here
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