Massive drop in imports from the USA - GMOs play a decisive role
Protein consumption of plant origin is only growing in small steps in the EU. The main driving factor, European livestock farming, is no longer increasing as much as in previous years. In addition, the feed conversion of animals is improving all the time.
However, there has been a fundamental change in the origin of protein feed. Just over a decade ago, 80 % of vegetable proteins were made from soybeans; today the proportion of soy is only 70 %. There has been a significant increase in rapeseed meal from the EU's own cultivation and sunflower meal from Eastern European imports such as Russia and Ukraine.
However, the sourcing of soybeans has also changed fundamentally. EU imports have shrunk from 18 million tons to 12 million tons. While 40% of beans came from the USA and Brazil at the beginning of the second millennium, today barely 20% come from North American countries. Brazil has been able to maintain its market share in percentage terms, but not its volume, which has fallen from 9 to 6 million tons compared to previous years. Most of the lost market share has gone to other countries, above all Argentina.
The reason for the change in trade flows is the EU import restriction on GMO soy. While hardly any GMO-free soy or old varieties approved for the EU are grown in the USA, there are still supply options on the South American continent. However, these are only available to a limited extent and are correspondingly expensive. As a result, other protein sources are becoming relatively more competitive. Nevertheless, they do not come close to the protein quality of soybeans, but are in demand as blending partners, particularly in cattle farming. The increasing production of the synthetic amino acids lysine and methionine, which are lacking for a high protein value, opens up increasing opportunities for the less valuable protein sources.
