EU produces too little canola and soy

The production of canola seed between 2000 and 2014 increased from 11.3 million tonnes to 24.3 million tonnes. The use of this crop increased during this period from 10.9 million tonnes to 25.6 million tonnes. This makes the EU a net importer of canola seed now.

Most soy is imported

The use of soy beans in the European Union (EU) is a lot bigger than the production, although the use decreased from 16.7 million tonnes in 2000 to 13.4 million tonnes in 2014. The production over the last years has always been at around 1.5 million tonnes. The difference is being imported. In 2014, the EU imported 12 million soybean and 19 million tonnes soy byproducts.

Biggest players in the EU

Germany is the biggest producer of canola seed, followed by France and Poland. These three countries represent two thirds of the total EU canola seed production. Italy is the biggest producer of soybeans, having one third of the total soybean acreage in the EU, this country produces more than 50 percent of the total EU grown soybeans volume.