European Protein Strategy: A Comprehensive Approach for a Sustainable Future

In October 2023, the European Parliament adopted a landmark resolution on the European protein strategy, underlining the critical importance of protein for human and animal nutrition. This strategy seeks to address multiple environmental, economic and food security challenges, with a focus on the sustainability and resilience of the EU food system.

Context and Motivations

Proteins are essential for life, constituting an indispensable component of the daily diet of both humans and animals. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have exposed the vulnerability of Europe’s food and feed supply chains, revealing the urgent need to diversify and strengthen the EU’s food autonomy.

The EU produces 77% of the forage proteins it uses, but relies significantly on imports to meet the demand for high-protein proteins, especially soybeans from the United States and South America. This dependence not only impacts negatively on EU food security, but also has serious environmental and social implications in producer countries.

Objectives of the European Protein Strategy

The strategy aims to increase the production and consumption of plant and animal protein within the EU, promoting sustainable practices that benefit the environment and the circular economy. The main objectives include:

1. Increasing domestic production: Increase EU plant protein production to reduce import dependency and improve food resilience.
2. Environmental sustainability: Promote agricultural practices that improve soil quality, biodiversity and reduce the carbon footprint.
3. Circular economy: Promoting circularity between plant and animal protein production, using waste streams in an efficient way.
4. Innovation and development: Promoting research and development of new technologies and sustainable agricultural practices.

Benefits of the Strategy

Improved Soil Quality and Biodiversity: The cultivation of legumes and grasses not only provides high quality protein but also improves soil fertility and biodiversity. Legumes, for example, can fix nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers.

Reducing Emissions: Incorporating feed additives can help animals digest protein better, reducing their methane and ammonia emissions, which contributes significantly to the fight against climate change.

Food Security: Increasing plant and animal protein production within the EU improves food security by ensuring a constant and sustainable supply of high quality food. Diversification of protein sources reduces dependence on imports, mitigating global market risks. Growing legumes and grasses improves soil health, reduces the use of chemical fertilisers and contributes to environmental sustainability. The circular economy uses by-products as fertilisers and bioenergy, closing nutrient cycles and minimising waste. In addition, domestic production under sustainable standards fosters the local economy, creates jobs and ensures competitive and high quality products. Research and development of new agricultural technologies increase the efficiency and resilience of agricultural systems in the face of climate change and natural hazards, strengthening the EU’s food self-sufficiency and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Challenges and Opportunities

The implementation of this strategy is not without its challenges. It is crucial to provide farmers with the necessary support to adopt new practices and technologies. In addition, it is essential that European legislation supports these efforts by reducing regulatory barriers and providing appropriate incentives.