The Society of Agriculture recently hosted a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session examining developments in agricultural policy and international trade, with particular focus on the evolving relationship between the UK, the European Union and the United States. The session provided attendees with valuable insights into the policy environment shaping agricultural markets and the future direction of the sector.
The event featured presentations from John Giles, FSAg, Promar International, and Carl Atkin-House, FPSAg CEnv, Climate Asset Management, and was chaired by Mark Yearsley, ASAg, MY Agricultural Services.
Opening the session, John Giles outlined the scale and complexity of the UK’s agri-food trading environment. The UK exports approximately £24 billion of food and drink each year, with the European Union continuing to represent the UK’s largest trading partner. Around £10 billion of these exports are destined for EU markets, with Ireland, France and the Netherlands among the principal destinations.