Agricultural policies being discssued in Europe may have major implications for New Zealand food producers who export to Europe.
New Zealand exports over NZ$1.1 billion in horticultural products to Continental Europe, which is one of NZ’s top export markets. The ‘chemical strategy’ for sustainability risks the loss of tools to manage pests and diseases and disregards the importance of affordable and healthy food for humans.
Imports of must comply with the same environmental standards as food produced in Europe, meaning that countries must ‘mirror’ the EU’s standards.
This will affect NZ food exports, especially if crop protection products are banned from use.
The products it bans will not be able to be used for growing food destined for export to the continent due to a risk of ‘illegal’ residues.