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The EU is largely self-sufficient in agricultural products, thanks to its common agricultural policy (CAP). However, the EU livestock sector is critically dependent on imports of plant-based proteins for animal feed, especially soybeans, from Argentina, Brazil and the United States (US). The links between protein imports and deforestation, on the one hand, and the substantial greenhouse emissions (GHG) from animal farming, on the other, are also lending greater prominence to the use of plant-based ...

Demographic, socio-political and economic pressures have made eating meat an unsustainable practice for the long term. However, meat substitutes have proved unpopular, owing to social norms and a lack of trust; some alternatives also contribute heavily to climate change. Could microbial protein be a sustainable alternative to meat that not only solves these multidimensional pressures but also contributes actively to reversing climate change?

This study provides an overview of the development and environmental effects of protein crop production in Europe. Nine policy options for supporting protein crops are presented: six inside the CAP, and three outside. We recommend an integrated policy approach combining the inclusion of protein crops into greening measures, investment in research and constraints on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. We conclude that increasing the production of protein crops would be an important contribution ...

The study reviews the sources and production of vegetable protein needed for animal feeding in the EU and highlights the fact that the EU imports a high proportion of its vegetable protein requirements in the form of oilseeds, particularly soya. This deficit in EU production has increased following the ban on the use of meat and bonemeal in animal feeding.