Across novel and alternative protein crops, a common set of barriers continues to constrain their ability to displace established feed ingredients like soya meal. High establishment costs and agronomic risk can deter growers, while harvesting is often more complex or less mechanised. Many crops face a lack of local processing infrastructure, limiting their suitability for compound feed manufacture and reducing market confidence. From a nutritional perspective, challenges around amino acid balance, nutrient density, and the proportion of digestible undegradable protein (DUP).
There has been a significant amount of research conducted in recent years to explore the potential of home-grown protein crops which may be viable in the UK. This article gives an overview to the soya issue, where the UK feed system is most exposed, and highlights emerging evidence on a range of alternative protein crops that could be grown in a UK climate.
Soyabean meal is a staple in many UK livestock sectors, making up an average of 9.2% of all livestock feed by tonnes, the largest users being poultry (meat) (21%), fish (13%), poultry (eggs) (11%), and pigs (10%). The high value and strong demand for soya has led to land use change in some countries where it is grown, becoming a major driver of deforestation (which accounts for 10-20% of global CO2 emissions caused by humans). Action is being taken in the UK to make sure all imported soya is guaranteed to be deforestation and conversion free (see the UK Soy Manifesto).