Partner Article

Agriculture Law

The legal industry touches upon all aspects of life and all types of trade and business – from agriculture to venture capital.

Agriculture might not strike you as a big legal area, but amazingly, farming uses 70% of the UK’s land area, employs 1.5% of the workforce and contributes £9.9 billion to the economy each year [Source: Gov.uk]. There are also 212,000 farms across the country. With agriculture playing such a large part in our lives – albeit unknown to us much of the time – there is much need for legal help and advice in this area.

What is agriculture law?

Agricultural law deals with the legal side of everything to do with agricultural infrastructure, such as the use of fertiliser, pesticides and seeds in our food chain and environment, to matters relating to labour, marketing, farming, animal welfare and land / tenancy rights.

It also covers other agriculturally related areas including the implementation of any modern technologies, intellectual property, trade, commerce, and credit related to agricultural products.

The use of pesticides, patents on genetically modified seeds, environmental concerns and land use are the most common issues affected by agricultural law.

As part of its agricultural policy, the UK is a member of the following organisations which have a large influence on agricultural policy and its laws. Obviously, with the ‘In-Out’ referendum happening on June 23rd 2016, Britain’s EU membership status will have a massive impact on this – and many others – area of law.

World Trade Organization (WTO) – Both the UK and the EU have been members since January 1, 1995. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – While the UK has been a member since 1945, the EU didn’t become a member organisation until November 26, 1991. International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) – The UK became a member on September 7, 1953, while the EU became a member organisation on October 62005. Office International des Epizooties (IOE)/World Animal Health Organization – Great Britain joined on January 25, 1924. The European Commission (EC) has formal observer status at the IOE, and this was established in 2004.

Agricultural law and the use of GM crops

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops has been one of the biggest issues to hit agricultural law in the last decade, particularly since the 2002 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was implemented on both and national and European-wide scale.

The only GM crops grown within the UK are done so for research purposes and no GM crops are currently grown commercially.

And while the government recognises there could be benefits to using GM technology, none will be grown commercially until a robust risk assessment confirms it is safe for humans and the environment, and assurances are in place to ensure it is used safely and responsibly.

What are the UK’s most recent agricultural policies?

In August 2015 the government partnered with the industry to launch a new strategy for agricultural technologies (agri-tech) that aims to make the UK a world leader in agri-tech, innovation and sustainability.

The strategy is also designed to increase productivity and add to global food security and international development.

In order to meet these targets, the government set up an Agri-tech Leadership Council to work alongside industry and the science base to deliver the following:

Increase inward investment and UK exports through targeted sector support Utilise the £70 million Agri-Tech Catalyst government investment to ensure cutting-edge agricultural research projects get put into practice Ensure public sector spending is being utilised correctly by understanding fully what industry research funding is being spent and where it is being spent Establishing a Centre for Agricultural Informatics and Metrics of Sustainability

As you can see, agriculture law is one of the most diverse branches of the legal industry, and because its effects reach so far and wide, it can influence everything from the largest commercial farming operations to the smallest family farms.

With changes in agricultural law and policies happening all the time, it’s hard for the UK’s farmers and other agricultural professionals to keep up. This is why firms of solicitorsspecialising in agricultural law exist all over the country. If you’ve been affected by an area of the law mentioned in this article, we suggest you get in touch with your local specialist solicitor to seek advice.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Evans .