Welsh Government- Brexit and our land response

Which? welcomes the opportunity to submit comments on the proposals for securing the future of Welsh farming. The Welsh government has an opportunity to make sure that as we exit the EU, farming policy can be much more aligned with the issues that matter most to the consumers whose confidence farmers and the wider food industry are dependent on.

Which?’s consumer research shows that consumers expect future policy to promote high standards. Which? has carried out extensive consumer research to understand consumers’ attitudes to food. Our recent research focused on Brexit and food standards, using an online forum and a survey which were representative of the UK population. This found that people expect there to be high standards in place and that they do not expect there to be any lowering of standards after the UK leaves the EU. If anything, they expect standards to be enhanced. Nine in ten (90%) of people say that it is important that food standards are maintained after Brexit. 71% of people told us that they would not buy food items produced to lower quality standards if they were cheaper than they currently are – a finding that was consistent across socio-economic groups.