© Marcus/Adobe Stock Commissioned by WWF Germany and authored by HFFA Research, this study quantifies the global land use impact of meat consumption in Germany and the European Union by analysing the concept of “virtual agricultural land trade”—highlighting how soy imports, primarily for animal feed, drive environmental degradation abroad.
Growing demand for meat in industrialised nations has led to intensified imports of protein-rich feed crops, particularly soy. This trend contributes to the expansion of agricultural land in biodiversity-rich regions such as the Brazilian Cerrado and tropical rainforests in Latin America. Yet, these indirect land use effects—embedded in trade flows—are largely invisible in domestic policy discussions.
The study applied the concept of virtual land trade to assess how much agricultural land abroad is effectively “used” by Germany and the EU through soy imports. It calculated the embedded land area required to sustain current levels of meat consumption and traced the origins of soy imports. The analysis quantified Germany’s virtual land footprint, particularly in South America, and linked it to dietary habits and livestock feed demand.
Between 2008 and 2010, Germany accounted for nearly 7 million hectares of virtual land use outside the EU—equivalent to 40% of its own agricultural land base.
4.4 million hectares of this footprint were located in South America, driven largely by soy cultivation for animal feed.
Soy alone was responsible for 40% of Germany’s virtual land demand, mainly due to meat production.
Each German consumer contributes to a land footprint exceeding 1,000 m² per year through meat consumption alone.
Germany’s total dietary land footprint exceeds 8 million hectares—over half of its domestic agricultural land area.
The study calls for further exploration of how changing dietary patterns could reduce environmental and biodiversity impacts.