I was interested to see the UK has joined the Pacific trading pact CPTPP, a trading agreement with 11 countries, including my birth nation Malaysia.
CPTPP – standing for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership – is a trade agreement between 11 nations, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The UK is the first non-founding member nation to join the pact.
According to the BBC: “The key perk [of joining] is greater access to each other’s markets, and a pledge to eliminate or reduce 95% of import charges or tariffs. But the biggest rewards – and challenges – could occur if others join the club… China is among those vying to sign up, as is Taiwan.”
Since leaving the EU, CPTPP is probably the UK’s biggest trade agreement. Goods from all countries in the block will be available cheaper. But I wonder if it will also mean more demand on the UK to ramp up exports of meat and other farm produce. This would be a concern because the UK is already feeling the effects of ramped-up industrial-scale farming, which strips the land and robs the UK of bio-diversity. So, I hope CPTPP won’t lead to more land being given over to food production, which would only serve to further deplete the environment.
There are also potential health concerns. Already, the UK is being put under pressure to accept imports that entail lower standards than those currently legislated for in the UK. For example, according to Farmers Weekly, Canada wants the UK to import beef raised under Canada’s meat hygiene system, which, unlike the UK, permits hormone-use.
International trade is a reality of the modern world and is inevitable – but it’s something we should think about in the light of the climate crisis. So, the UK needs to be mindful of the environmental impacts of any trade agreements.
In general, we need to move towards placing more emphasis on ‘eating local’ because the current practice of importing food or sending it around the world means more food miles and less healthy food.
Going forward, trading agreements should complement an overarching policy that encourages better farming practices that grow healthier produce and have less impact on the environment, which in turn will helps to regenerate the land and encourage bio-diversity.
While the UK needs to be smart in its international trade, we also need to think about our commitment to the environment and future generations. We need to rethink how we nourish our bodies and minds; we need to challenge global food markets; and we need to rethink our relationship with the planet.
Read more of Mandy’s articles in Sublime Magazine
Main image by William-William
About the Author
Mandy Lieu is an exclusive columnist for Sublime Magazine, food systems entrepreneur and philanthropist. Having enjoyed success across Asia as a model, film and TV actress, she moved to the UK in 2015 to start a family and join the revolution in local, sustainable food. Now Mandy is transforming her lifelong passion for nutrition and food systems into a business – she owns The Good Plot, a new farm-to-table restaurant and Ewhurst Park a regenerative farm. Visit Mandy’s Blog
