EU Protein Plan Seeks to Boost Plant-Based Foods – Mainly to Feed Livestock, Not Humans

The EU has published its Protein Plan, emphasizing the importance of plant-based proteins but failing to establish concrete targets to increase production for human consumption. The plan mainly focuses on boosting plant protein production for livestock feed, which currently accounts for a significant portion of protein consumption in the region. The strategy aims to reduce the EU's reliance on imported plant proteins and increase the share of domestically produced proteins for feed by 2035.

While the Protein Plan acknowledges the benefits of plant-based diets for food security, climate goals, and farmer incomes, it lacks specific measures to support farmers interested in growing protein-rich crops for human consumption. Critics have noted that the plan overlooks the imbalance in protein consumption and missed the opportunity to address it, calling for more concrete policies to stimulate demand for plant foods and increase human consumption of plant proteins.