UK 'should not follow EU's Museum of Agriculture', US ambassador says

US Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson said the British farming industry has been presented with a 'false choice' (Photo: Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock)

Britain has been urged by the United States to leave the EU's 'Museum of Agriculture' and dismiss 'misleading scare-stories' about American agriculture, the US ambassador to the UK said.

Last week, the United States government published its “negotiating objectives” for a future trade deal with the UK, including “comprehensive access” for agri goods and a demand to pull down “unwarranted barriers”, such as rules which regulate the UK food and farming industry.

The demands, which runs to 18 pages, fuelled concern within the farming industry over potential lowering of food and farming standards once the UK leaves the EU.

In the US, the government permits such practices as chlorinated chicken, which consists of dipping meat into chlorinated water to prevent microbial contamination.

But this practice is banned in the EU, which fears the practice could actually worsen safety standards.

However, Ambassador Woody Johnson, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said such 'inflammatory' language criticising US food production is a 'smear campaign' against American farming.

“You have been presented with a false choice: either stick to EU directives, or find yourselves flooded with American food of the lowest quality,” Mr Johnson said.

“Inflammatory and misleading terms like ‘chlorinated chicken’ and ‘hormone beef’ are deployed to cast American farming in the worst possible light. It is time the myths are called out for what they really are: a smear campaign from people with their own protectionist agenda.”

'Museum of Agriculture'

The UK government has repeatedly denied it will accept lower food standards once the UK leaves the EU.

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said: “We have always been very clear that we will not lower our food standards as part of a future trading agreement.”

Mr Johnson, however, criticised the European Union's approach to farming, saying it belonged in the 'Museum of Agriculture'.

He said: “American farmers are making a vital contribution to the rest of the world. Their efforts deserve to be recognised.”

Speaking about chlorine-washed chicken, Mr Johnson said the method is a “public safety no-brainer”. On allowing growth hormones for cattle, he said it allows the production of more meat at a lower cost to the consumer and environment.

“The fact is that farmers in America have the same priorities as farmers in Britain”, he said.

“It would be a genuine missed opportunity to buy into the idea that the EU’s traditionalist approach to agriculture is Britain’s only option for a quality and efficient agriculture sector moving forward.”

'High standards'

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, NFU President Minette Batters said that whilst chlorine-washed chicken is 'safe' to eat, there are concerns over differences in welfare standards and environmental protection standards.

“Our consumer has demanded high standards of animal welfare, we've risen to that challenge - he's right to make the point that food security is crucially important, we would say the same - but all we're saying is: 'Produce the food to our standards and we'll have a trade deal,” she said.

For example, she said US poultry farms were not required to include windows in their sheds or clean out in between flocks.

Last week, Mrs Batters said the US's trade demands 'comes as no surprise'. She said it is 'imperative' that any future trade deals do not allow the imports of food produced to lower standards than those required of British farmers.