Europe is by far the largest importer of soymeal in the world, and the 2nd largest importer of soybeans. Much of the soy is from South America. In 2007 33% of Brazil's harvest and 32% of Argentina's was destined for Europe, where it is used as a cheap and protein rich animal feed in factory farms across the continent. The largest user of soy in the EU is intensive pork farming followed by poultry.

Germany, France and the United Kingdom use the most land for soy production: 4.5 million hectares to maintain their current diets. People living in Cyprus, Spain and Denmark eat the largest amount of meat and dairy products per capita in the EU.

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