This letter was sent to the Daily Express following an article discussing the Common Agricultural Policy
Sir
Before engaging in a diatribe about the Common Agricultural Policy, Patrick O'Flynn (No shortage of money for the unholy trinity of the political elite, Daily Express, October 30) should check his facts.
The EU is by far the largest importer of agricultural goods from developing countries in Africa and Asia, importing some $83billion on average between 2007-9, more than the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand put together.
This is in large part thanks to a range of long-standing trade agreements that the EU has reached with African, Pacific and Caribbean countries and the so-called 'Everything but Arms' agreement which grants duty free and unlimited market access to most farm goods from the 49 least developed countries in the world.
To argue that the CAP massively contributes to poverty is both completely wrong and undermines proper debate on the causes of poverty in Africa and Asia.
NFU head of economics and international affairs Tom Hind
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