Episode 19: Illegal Antibiotics, Implications of the Mercosur Trade Deal and Could You Eat Your Pet Turkey?

Put your thoughts into the mixWelcome back to Episode 19 of the Wilson & Ashley Podcast — our final episode before Christmas! Somehow, despite an entire year to prepare, we’ve managed to finish on Episode 19 instead of 20 (sorry to those of you who like your round numbers!) A festive combination of poor planning, questionable maths, and general disorganisation. Should we record a bonus episode to fix it? Maybe. Probably. (Almost definitely not.)Before we fully embrace the Christmas spirit, we tackle a serious and increasingly important issue following an Irish Farmers Journal undercover investigation: the use of antibiotics in livestock production in Brazil, how it links directly to the Mercosur trade deal, and why it matters for the UK and global food systems. We explore what this could mean for animal welfare standards, farming competitiveness, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance against the backdrop of international trade agreements and substandard agricultural imports.It’s a a serious conversation, but one we felt needed discussion as tensions around the Mercosur trade deal continue and concerns grow about how imported food is produced compared to UK farming standards.As ever, the episode doesn’t stay entirely on track. Along the way we reflect on how we’ve somehow become serious adults, momentarily forget who Fleetwood Mac are (a low point), debate whether our microphones were actually worth the money, and discover that not everyone knows who Mr Beast is — despite him having hundreds of millions of YouTube subscribers.The episode wraps up with a Christmas-themed second half, as we touch on the potential of a turkey shortage before the big day and how one journalist decided to take matters into her own hands...Join us for episode 19 before we attempt to redeem ourselves in the new year… when we may have a big surprise waiting.Join our Listener Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1110531760649475/If you’ve got a story, an opinion, or an idea for an episode… Send us a DM or drop us a voice note — we want to include your thoughts in our conversation. Subscribe now and let’s get into it!@wilsonandashley@rebeccawilsonfarming@charlotteashleyfarmPowered by Ridgeline ClothingWhilst we endeavour to research podcast topics to the best of our ability, we cannot guarantee the accuracy and completeness of all conversations and as such, the podcast does not constitute professional advice.