British Poultry Council, Chief Executive, Richard Griffiths, said:

“There is nothing more important that ensuring our citizens have continued access to affordable and quality British food. Despite great uncertainty over Brexit, we need the Government to deliver a food strategy that ensures British families and communities are well fed.

Continuity of British food production and supply will be critical to ensuring that British food, and the quality it represents, stays affordable and available for all. A dignified food system means that everyone has access to the same choice of safe, wholesome, and nutritious produce; yet Brexit threatens to create a two-tier food system based on affluence.

To secure our future food production the British poultry meat sector wants to work with Government to develop a robust transition plan that means we have access to the workers we need and to avoid any disruption in the smooth movement of perishable products across the EU.

We’re calling on the Government to:

• Ensure British poultry meat businesses have access to non-UK labour, and support development of skills, to enable us to carry on producing high quality food to world leading standards.
• Facilitate easy movement of poultry products, in order to maintain a secure supply of safe, nutritious and affordable British food, grown to high standards from farm to fork.
• Maintain British food production standards as an integral part of the food system and protect them from dilution in trade deals.