If only we had some sort of free trade agreement with people who have similar life styles, standards and ideas on democracy. Perhaps our close neighbours, like France, Holland, Germany, (Belgium, Italy at a push, Spain, Portugal, Poland) …

It’d be even better if we had some sort of shared legislative body so that we could agree those standards.

What’s your point here, that the US will suddenly convert all the chicken production to organic? Do they have enough organic chicken to export to us?

Chlorine washing and routine use of antibiotics should not be seen as a way to compensate for cramped or dirty conditions on the farm or in the abattoir.

Or should we just stick with the higher quality we already expect.

Chlorinated chicken imports would also wrestle for market share with UK farmers and producers.

Do you want to support UK consumers and farmers, or not?

Here’s the podcast episode description:

When people think of oil rich nations their mind generally goes to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the US.

But according to international statistics, the country with the largest oil reserves is Venezuela, with 300 billion barrels worth.

At their peak they produced over 3.5 million barrels of the stuff per day. However, due to lack of investment, sanctions and mismanagement that peak is long gone.

Following their military intervention, the US administration claims they can get Venezuela’s oil production up and running at full capacity within 18 months.

But can they, and why is it that estimates for other countries oil reserves have fluctuated but Venezuela’s has stayed at 300 billion barrels for over two decades?

Do you have a source for the chlorine statement?

Looks like the Harmonised Risk Indicator is relatively new https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/pesticides/sustainable-use-pesticides/harmonised-risk-indicators_en?hl=en-GB

And has already come under criticism from the European Court of Auditors:

criticised the deceptive nature of HRI-1. According to the auditors, the HRI-1 shows “a risk reduction that is mainly due to lower sales of the substances in the category ‘not approved’” and should be replaced by “better risk indicators”.

From the blog post you’ve linked:

“If an organic farmer treats aphids with a plant protection product based solely on rapeseed oil, the HRI-1 calculates a risk over 1,000 times higher than if a conventional farmer treats the same area with a synthetic neurotoxin that is highly toxic for bees. This not only presents dangerous substances as harmless – and vice versa, but it is also a form of misinformation about organic farming”

So, for or against reviewing the data on pesticides (natural Vs synthetic for example)?

The wheels are turning, and progress is being made in the EU. How are the sunny uplands treating you?

The report finds that while the UK has not significantly weakened its environmental standards since Brexit, it has failed to keep pace with the EU’s ambitious agenda. The divergence is largely passive – or “divergence by default” – as the EU moves ahead with new laws on issues ranging from air pollution and chemicals to nature restoration and circular economy.

Seems fairly balanced

Following this backlash and intense internal negotiations, the Commission scaled back its approach in the proposal presented today. Targeted re-assessment would now be required for substances where uncertainties or data gaps have emerged from their risk assessment

Are you suggesting that rechecking the data and risks of pesticides is wrong?

Apologies if the sources aren’t great or particularly up-to-date but it looks to me like organic farms account for just 9% of chicken farms in USA. Add to that the practice of chlorine washing, so I find it hard to see the benefits.

https://www.lilsipper.com/97-of-chicken-in-the-usa-is-bleached-here-are-the-brands-thats-not-not-bleaching-our-chicken/

No doubt the USDA is a hotbed of democrat demons intent on selling out the USA

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2022/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_US/st99_1_030_031.pdf

https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/zg64tk92g/2z10z137s/bn99bh97r/cenorg22.pdf

We can have USA chicken instead, much better quality. /S