Anton J. Alldrick
Campden BR, Station Road, Chipping Campden,
Gloucestershire,GL55 6LD, United Kingdom

Member of Agro FOOD Industry Hi Tech Scientific Advisory Board

On 23^rd June 2016 a referendum was held in the United Kingdom which favoured the country leaving the European Union (“Brexit”). At the time of writing (early October 2016) it was announced that the United Kingdom would invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty in the first quarter of 2017. This would signal the beginning of negotiations which would not only lead to the country’s secession from the Union but also establish the basis of the future relationships between it and the other 27 Member States. The agri-food sector is a major component of both the EU and UK economies; Food Drink Europe has estimated that the food supply chain within the 28 Member States provides added value in the region of 800 billion Euros and employs 32 million people. Within the UK, food manufacturing is considered to be single largest manufacturing industry accounting for something like 7% GDP. The UK is also a net importer of food with a current trading deficit in the region of 20 billion Euros. Consequently the forthcoming negotiations will have a considerable effect not only on access to each other’s markets but also on many other diverse aspects including research and development, ...