Summary

The UK’s food and farming industry generates over £110 billion a year and employs one in eight people in the UK. Trade is vital to the industry. The EU is the UK’s single largest trading partner in agri-food products, accounting for 60% of exports and 70% of imports.

Brexit will inevitably introduce friction to trading routes. Our Report focused on the impact to different agri-food sectors of the UK having to trade under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, in the event that the UK and EU fail to reach a trade agreement.

In withdrawing from the EU, the UK will withdraw from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). We intend to look at the Government’s proposals to replace CAP later in this Session.

The Committee’s key recommendations and conclusions are: