Food deals are the forgotten bread and butter issues of Brexit | Julian Baggini

Trade negotiations with the EU have descended into a political circus - yet the quality of what we eat is too important to overlookRulers, wrote the Roman poet Juvenal, survive by providing the people with bread and circuses. His observation has acquired a twisted relevance in recent years. Brexit has become a political circus without the laughs while the duty to provide bread has become criminally neglected. These two aberrations are deeply connected.Food policy has been a central concern of governments throughout history. As recently as 1957, article 39 of the treaty of Rome, the EU's founding document, set out the aims of a planned common agricultural policy (CAP), which included ensuring "a fair standard of living for the agricultural community", "the availability of supplies" and "that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices". Continue reading...