Pork meat in the EU: Reductions in production, consumption, and exports

Although pork production in the EU has increased in 2024 and 2025 (due to the recovery of breeding sows in 2024), intensive pig production systems are expected to face more criticism from society in the coming years. Pork production in the EU is expected to be further reduced by the implementation of stricter animal welfare and environmental laws in certain EU countries and by the decrease in export opportunities (especially due to lower demand from China). The presence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the EU is presumed, but major or uncontrolled outbreaks are not predicted. Therefore, it is expected that pork production in the EU will fall by 0.75% per year from now until 2035 (or about 1.54 million tons in 2035 compared to the 2023-2025 period). However, this decline is not uniform. For example, production could decrease more sharply in Western Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France), while in Spain it could continue to increase. In the EU, environmental and social ...