EU report frames protein mix as strategic lever for food policy

The scale of that dependence is what makes the report land. Average adult protein intake in the EU sits at about 80 to 85 grammes per person per day, more than most groups require, and animal-based products make up roughly 60% of total protein intake. At the same time, livestock production accounts for more than 65% of agricultural greenhouse-gas emissions in the EU, while grazing and feed production occupy over half of agricultural land. That combination turns protein from a dietary preference into a systems question about emissions, land use and resilience.

The EEA did not frame the answer as a fast pivot away from animal production. It described protein diversification as a gradual rebalancing of what Europe produces and consumes. The report said broadening the range of proteins could strengthen food security, improve resilience, enhance competitiveness and reduce environmental pressures, which puts the issue squarely in industrial policy as well as climate policy. For retailers, manufacturers and public buyers, the message is not that livestock vanishes. It is that protein portfolios become measurable policy terrain, the same way energy mix or crop output already are.

That logic tracks closely with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, which said in 2024 that joint changes in supply and demand are needed to improve sustainability and resilience. Its analysis modeled four scenarios: support for protein crops, changes in livestock feed practices, restructuring the livestock herd and a shift toward more plant-based diets. The numbers behind that work are hard to ignore. The EU livestock sector uses about 71 million tonnes of crude protein in feed each year, 24% of it imported. The Commission said 66% of high-protein feed is imported and 96% of soy bean meal comes from outside the EU.