How Will Europe Be Self-Sufficient in Soybean?

Europe imports nearly 90% of its soybeans, mainly from the United States and Brazil, mainly for animal feed. The area cultivated with soybean in Europe has quadrupled in 12 years, from 1.2 million hectares in 2004 to 5 million hectares in 2016, but it represents only 1.7% of the cultivated area. The study conducted by researchers from Inrae and AgroParisTech shows that the European agricultural area suitable for soybean cultivation is much higher than the area currently harvested. They conclude that if the demand for protein remains constant, soybean self-sufficiency of 50% to 100% is achievable in Europe by devoting 4% to 11% of the cropland to soybean cultivation.