The latest Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032 report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) claims that the European Union will become the largest exporter of wheat in the world.
Forecasts are that this will happen against the background of slow growth in the market and a decrease in arable land in Europe. Growth in total global cereal demand is expected to be slower over the next decade due to slowing growth in demand for feed, biofuels and other industrial uses.
In Western Europe, cereal food use per capita is expected to stagnate or even decline due to low population growth and consumer preferences moving away from cereal grains.
The report shows that in Western Europe arable land is projected to decline as any increase in crop production is tightly regulated by environmental sustainability policies.
In terms of purchasing power in Europe, the report highlights that rising incomes will reduce per capita demand for staple foods, particularly cereals, and thus facilitate a shift in consumption towards foods with higher nutritional value. especially in foods that are rich in trace elements such as fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts.
The EU is projected to become the largest producer of wheat by 2032, overtaking China, where wheat production is proportionally responding to reduced demand due to negative population growth.
The five largest exporters of coarse grains - the EU, Australia, Russia, Canada and Argentina - are expected to account for 78% of global trade by 2032. According to the report, this year 41% of all grains will be used for human consumption, 37 % will be used for feed and the remaining 22% will be used for biofuels and other purposes.
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