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Given the difficult global food security situation, “land
grabbing” by the EU cannot be considered sustainable. Discussions are therefore
taking place in Europe to expand cultivation of protein-rich grain legumes
(field peas, field beans or lupins) with the aim of increasing domestic
production of protein for animal feed and decreasing soy imports.
However, this strategy seems to hit a brick wall very
quickly for both ecological and economic reasons. That is the conclusion of an
opinion paper published by OVID, the German oil seed processors’ association.
Even in France, where the cultivation of peas increased to more than 800,000
hectares in the mid-90s under the influence of the EU protein bonus, pea
cultivation has now stopped, partly because of new subsidy policies, but also
for ecological reasons. Even with political and financial support it has not
been possible to gain long-term traction among European farmers for the
cultivation of protein crops.
In addition, a study conducted on the behalf of the
European Parliament (2003–2006) came to the conclusion that the cultivation of
grain legumes in the EU is not competitive when compared to the production of
grain and oil seeds.
There are various reasons for this: firstly, grain legumes have a significantly
lower protein yield and lower quality than soy and rapeseed. Furthermore, they
are more susceptible to fungal diseases and pests. In particular, repeated
cultivation on the same area can lead to a rapid increase in fungal diseases.
The result is a dramatic decline in crop yields and in yield stability. That is
why experts recommend leaving a gap of five to seven years before cultivating
peas and field beans on the same area.
Closing the protein gap would mean cultivating grain
legumes on up to 40 per cent of the EU’s available arable land
These limitations mean that grain legumes can be cultivated sustainably on a
maximum of 20 per cent of the arable land. In order to fully replace the
quantity of soy imported annually by Germany alone would require between 2.25
and 4.36 million hectares of arable land, depending on the variety of legume
grown. This represents between 19 and 37 per cent of Germany’s available arable
land, which is why closing the protein gap in Europe can appear unachievable.
Wheat cultivation would be squeezed out, making Europe
an importer of wheat, and more land would be used up worldwide
An expansion of grain legume cultivation would have other consequences as well,
raising questions about the sustainability of such a strategy. Since the amount
of available arable land in Germany and Europe is limited, cultivation of peas
and lupins would be made at the expense of established high-yield crops. As well
as land used for growing maize, this would mainly affect wheat and oilseed rape
varieties.
The unsustainability of this approach can be illustrated perfectly with the
example of wheat. Europe is the region with the highest wheat yields worldwide
(5.1. tonnes per hectares; in other parts of the world the average yield is 2.5
tonnes per hectares). This production potential makes the EU one of the most
important wheat exporters worldwide. Cutting wheat cultivation in favour of
grain legumes would lead to an EU output gap for wheat and therefore to a
reduction of the EU’s export potential. Wheat production in non-EU countries
would need to increase to close this gap. However, the conditions for the
cultivation of wheat are less favourable there, so more land would have to be
used.
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Europe would become a
wheat importer, if domestic production of grain legumes will be expanded.
Photo: Jacopo Werther
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OVID’s calculations show that each hectare of
North and South American soy replaced with domestic grain legume production,
would necessitate an additional 2.8 hectares for wheat production outside the EU
to cover the increased import needs of the European Union.
As a result, OVID emphasizes that, in a world economy of
highly diversified production processes, each country should specialise in its
high-yield crop to make efficient use of arable land and ensure sustainable
capacity utilisation. Following this logic, Europe should continue to focus on
wheat and oilseed rape rather than on grain legumes. A self-sufficient legumes
policy in the EU would currently exacerbate the global food supply problem. |
At the same time, soy cultivation in the Americas should
be further optimised, according to OVID, to ensure responsible use of valuable
ecosystems. Certification systems such as ISCC, RTRS, the US Soybean
Sustainability Assurance Protocol and Soja Plus could further promote
sustainable production of soy beans.
U.S. Sustainability Assurance Protocol – an example of
how to make agriculture environmentally sound
Sustainability certification systems are already very
effective in improving the environmental compatibility of soy production. For
example, U.S. soybean production is based on a national system of sustainability
and conservation laws and regulations. In addition, most of the nearly 300,000
U.S soy producers participate in certified and audited voluntary sustainability
and conservation programs. The underlaying Sustainability Assurance Protocol is
a certified approach audited by third parties that demonstrates sustainable
soybean production at a national scale. The Protocol describes the regulations,
processes and management practices that ensure sustainable soybean production.
This approach demonstrates the significant achievements
for the environment. For example, the following improvements became apparent
since 1980:
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U.S. soy production increased by 96% using 8% less
energy
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greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 41% per tonne
of soy production
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soil erosion decreased by 66% per tonne of U.S. soy
production
U.S. soy production is a part of a diverse crop rotation
plan carried out on 23% of the cropland to preserve biodiversity and soil
fertility. Additionally, 10% of available U.S. cropland is taken out of
production to protect sensitive areas.
Further information:
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