An analysis of the possible impacts of selected Post-Brexit trade scenarios on the UK agri-food sector and their possible consequences for trade in agricultural products between the UK and the EU

Abstract

The UK’s withdrawal from the EU will have wide-reaching consequences for the UK and the remaining 27 member states. There is little doubt that the UK agri-food sector is one of the sectors most seriously affected by Brexit: for almost half a century, the UK’s agri-food sector has been intrinsically and intricately linked to its membership of the European Community and, subsequently, the EU. The UK’s food system is shaped by EU agricultural policy (which influences what and how food is grown), UK regulatory policy (which is shaped by EU stand-ards for food safety, quality, and the environment) and EU trade agreements and associated tariffs. It is not only dependent on trade relations with the EU and other nations around the globe, but it is also dependent on migrant labour.