Towards nature-friendly consumption: Factsheets on Palm Oil, Shrimp and Soy

How does food consumption in the European Union influence biodiversity in the Global South? These three factsheets present the impacts of European soy, palm oil and shrimp consumption on nature in the countries of origin.

Soy is hidden in most animal products like meat, milk and eggs, because it is mostly used as livestock feed. In South America, 4.8 million hectares of land are required to produce soy for the EU – typically cultivated in extensive monocultures under heavy use of agrochemicals.

Palm oil production is linked to the deforestation of tropical rainforests and the drainage of peatlands, destroying the habitats of endangered species and causing substantial greenhouse gas emissions. To meet EU demand alone, 1.5 million hectares of palm oil plantations are required.

European shrimp consumption has risen by about 60% in the past decade. The destruction of mangrove forests for new shrimp ponds leads to the loss of vital ecosystem services in many tropical coasts, including in Southeast Asia.

The three fact sheets summarize key facts and figures on biodiversity impacts of EU consumption. They are available in German and English language.

More details and recommendations for reducing such biodiversity impacts can be found in the underlying study “Towards nature-friendly consumption”: https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/knowledge-centre/resources/global-biodiversity-loss-recommendations-nature-friendly-consumption