Features of the supply of soybeans to the EU

Soy is one of the main crops consumed in the EU for both food and industrial purposes.

Soy is often used for animal feed, components of proper nutrition are obtained from it, and biofuel is also made. Since the EU’s own sown area for this crop is not enough, and farmers prefer to sow the existing areas with other crops, European countries have to import this product from third countries, including Ukraine. Note that European farmers highly value high-quality soybeans, which are not resistant to glyphosphate, because it is this element that is considered carcinogenic to humans and animals.

What is needed for the supply of soybeans to the EU

Organic soybeans, which are grown without the use of GMOs, are in particular demand in the EU. At the same time, Europe does not forget about eco-trends, which provide for the reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which means that the import of grain products from other countries should be as environmentally friendly as possible. This implies that the countries from which the products are purchased should not be too far from Europe, so that many harmful substances are not released into the air during the transportation of products. These criteria are met by Ukraine, which is close to Europe, but there is a problem with the use of GM soybeans by local farmers. The thing is that Ukrainian standards do not regulate the content of harmful substances in cereals, but this is precisely what the EU pays special attention to. This fact leads European buyers to target India and China as the main suppliers of quality soybeans that are not glyphosphate resistant.

Accordingly, given these features, Ukrainian farmers must grow products that will pass the selection criteria on European markets. The quality of the product should be confirmed by the relevant documents, which indicate the level of contamination of leaves and beans (recall that it should not exceed 0.1%).

Features of import of soybeans

Despite the fact that Ukrainian soybeans do not always meet the product quality standards set by the EU, according to statistics, it is Ukraine that is the main supplier of these products to Europe. According to forecasts, even with a decrease in imports from Ukraine, our country remains an important trading partner of Western Europe in this direction. Recall that the countries of Europe are 98% dependent on the import of this product, so it makes sense for Ukrainian farmers to take a closer look at organic soybeans and offer it for export to other countries. Also important trade partners of the EU in this direction are the USA and Brazil, which can offer a quality product.