Kate Adams delivered a stark message to UK farmers: Europe has reversed course on livestock, now calling the sector a strategic pillar rather than a problem to shrink.
Speaking from the British Agriculture Bureau, Adams said the European Commission has placed food security, resilience, and farmer support at the center of its new agricultural vision. The strategy, she told farmers, marks a clean break from the Green Deal and Farm to Fork policies that dominated Brussels in prior years.
“Previously there was a general push to reduce livestock numbers across Europe to hit those targets,” she said.
The policy pivot arrives as herd sizes dwindle and farm economics deteriorate across the continent. Farmers report collapsing profitability, unpredictable markets, mounting regulatory burdens, and too few young people entering the profession.
Yet Adams cautioned against assuming recovery. “The proof will be in the actions we take over the next few weeks, months and years,” she said. “We haven’t actually seen anything yet showing how livestock numbers will be encouraged. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Meanwhile, UK-EU negotiations over a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement could trim paperwork and border inspections for agricultural trade. Adams acknowledged the goal but warned Britain could end up as a rule-taker under tighter regulatory alignment.
She flagged another emerging threat: Brazil’s exclusion from the EU market. The South American country shipped 83,000 tonnes of fresh and frozen beef to Europe in 2025. With that route closed, displaced Brazilian product needs a new destination.
The AHDB has already modeled the consequences. Even a modest surge in Brazilian imports could distort Britain’s domestic beef market, Adams said, calling the outlook concerning. The restrictions could hold for at least 18 months, perhaps longer.
