To meet the demand for plant-based proteins, the European Union wants to become less dependent on imports of protein-rich crops such as soy and increase self-sufficiency. This can be beneficial for both food supply and animal feed production.
A study by a Polish scientific institute shows that there is still potential in Polish agriculture for the cultivation of protein-rich crops. This study was initiated by the Dutch embassy in Warsaw.
Following the protein plea by the European Commission, Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten presented a National Protein Strategy (NES) in December to increase the production and use of plant-based proteins. The protein strategy focuses on how the Netherlands can contribute at the national level to the EU’s self-sufficiency.
At the Dutch embassy in Warsaw, this EU plea and the Ministry of Agriculture’s strategy led to the question of how much Poland could contribute, including for Dutch companies active throughout the entire chain (from cultivation to processing).
Because no (accessible) data was available in Poland, the Agricultural Attaché team at the embassy in Warsaw commissioned the scientific study. The study covers the cultivation of not only soy but all protein-rich crops, both for animal feed and for human consumption.
On Thursday, March 18, the Dutch-Polish Chamber of Commerce (NPCC) together with BNP Paribas and the Dutch Embassy in Warsaw will hold a webinar about the feed market in Poland and the cultivation of protein-rich crops.