“Meat is always very much on my plate,” says Coffey during a sales visit to the United States

Britain's environment secretary said she wouldn't go vegetarian or vegan because she courted the American agricultural establishment.

"Don't worry, I'm not going entirely vegan or vegetarian," Therese Coffey told the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) winter conference in Washington DC, while traveling aimed at boosting discussions on the US-UK trade deal that has languished on the back burner.

"Meat is still very much on my food plate," he said. she said at the conference The agriculture industry understood “the care of animals with good levels of husbandry,” which is the “right thing to do.”

The Minister told those present that she hoped to increase trade with the United States, stressing that the United Kingdom is a big market for sweet potatoes from North Carolina, where she had just been.

"All of this reinforces for me the need to defend free trade," she said . “I have spent the last few days in the great state of North Carolina. The UK is their biggest market for sweet potatoes, but it doesn't stop there. They told me that they wanted to conclude a free trade agreement and I hope that we can resume our discussions soon. She added that the other 49 states have "fantastic products".

There are concerns that a post-Brexit free trade agreement with the United States could push the United Kingdom to reduce food consumption. import standards, for example by introducing hormone-fed beef.

This speech was the first time a non-US minister addressed the conference, that Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials said "demonstrates the strength of UK-US collaboration on sustainable agriculture, food security and the enhancement of nature and biodiversity".

Coffey also hinted that new legislation could be getting to food self-sufficiency after a year of turmoil in the farming industry. She said: "In the UK we only have around 60 per cent domestic self-sufficiency and we want to maintain that at least, if not look higher." This year the UK has faced egg shortages due to avian flu, with farms closing, as well as greenhouse businesses growing fruit, vegetables and salads due to prices Energy. The drought that hit the country also affected vegetable production and the size of livestock which struggled without enough grass or hay.

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The Secretary of State will address to UK farmers at the National Farmers' Union annual conference next week, where she is asked by the union's president to commit to food safety targets. The government has yet to announce that it will report on food self-sufficiency each year, or give a plan to increase or maintain it.