Soybean Meals

Global Soybean Meals Market to Reach US$145.8 Billion by 2030

The global market for Soybean Meals estimated at US$122.0 Billion in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$145.8 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.0% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Conventional, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 2.2% CAGR and reach US$84.0 Billion by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the Organic segment is estimated at 4.1% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$33.2 Billion While China is Forecast to Grow at 5.5% CAGR

The Soybean Meals market in the U.S. is estimated at US$33.2 Billion in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$28.3 Billion by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 5.5% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 1.2% and 2.3% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 1.7% CAGR.

Global Soybean Meal Market – Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

Why Is Soybean Meal Indispensable in Global Feed and Food Chains?

Soybean meal continues to play a vital role in the global agricultural economy due to its high protein content and functional versatility, especially in animal feed production. As a co-product of soybean oil extraction, soybean meal is primarily used as a high-protein feed ingredient for poultry, swine, dairy, aquaculture, and other livestock. It accounts for a substantial portion of the protein demand in animal husbandry due to its balanced amino acid profile, digestibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to other plant- and animal-based proteins. With growing global protein consumption, particularly in emerging markets across Asia and Latin America, demand for efficient animal feed solutions has surged—positioning soybean meal as an irreplaceable component of industrial-scale feed rations. In addition to feed, soybean meal is increasingly used in bio-based food products, nutritional supplements, and pet food formulations. Regulatory approval of defatted soybean meal in various food-grade applications is expanding its use in baked goods, meat alternatives, and fortified cereal mixes. The growing importance of food security, protein self-sufficiency, and sustainable agriculture is placing renewed focus on soybean meal as both an economic and nutritional cornerstone in global food systems.

How Are Shifting Trade Flows and Geopolitical Pressures Reshaping the Soybean Meal Supply Landscape?

Global soybean meal markets are highly sensitive to geopolitical shifts, trade policies, and climate variability, which can all affect the availability, pricing, and flow of both soybeans and meal exports. Major producers—namely the United States, Brazil, and Argentina—dominate global exports, with China, the EU, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East acting as key importers. Trade dynamics are influenced by bilateral tariffs, currency fluctuations, and logistics constraints, often leading to rapid changes in sourcing strategies. For example, trade tensions between the U.S. and China, or weather-related disruptions in South American harvests, can create volatility in meal pricing and redirect international trade flows. Additionally, several countries are investing in domestic crushing facilities to reduce reliance on imported meal and increase value addition within their own economies. Innovations in crushing efficiency and degumming technologies are helping processors improve protein yield and optimize by-product usage. Meanwhile, growing concerns over deforestation and sustainability in South America have led to calls for traceable, certified soybean supply chains, influencing purchasing behavior among global feed manufacturers and food brands. This evolving trade and regulatory landscape continues to push the industry toward transparency, diversification, and resilience in soybean meal procurement and production.

What Role Does Sustainability and Nutrition Play in Driving Innovation in Soybean Meal?

Sustainability and nutritional enhancement are becoming central themes in the evolution of soybean meal products and their market perception. On the sustainability front, pressure is mounting from food producers, retailers, and end consumers for low-deforestation, certified-sustainable soybean sourcing. This is leading to the adoption of programs like the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) and ProTerra certification, aimed at minimizing environmental impact and ensuring ethical supply chains. From a nutrition perspective, research into improving the digestibility, amino acid profile, and anti-nutritional factor (ANF) reduction of soybean meal is helping to make it more effective in feed conversion, especially for aquafeed and monogastric diets. Enzyme supplementation, fermentation processing, and dehulling techniques are enhancing soybean meal’s nutritional density and palatability, allowing it to compete with fishmeal and other high-value proteins. Additionally, in the context of rising meat alternatives and plant-based protein demand, defatted soybean meal is increasingly being evaluated for texturized protein applications. Its functional versatility, gelling capacity, and protein content make it a candidate for meat analogs and snack formulations. As regulatory frameworks evolve and consumer awareness grows, soybean meal is being repositioned not just as a feed input, but as a dual-purpose protein solution for both animal and human nutrition.

What’s Fueling the Long-term Growth of the Soybean Meal Market Across Regions?

The growth in the soybean meal market is driven by several factors directly tied to trends in global protein consumption, animal agriculture intensification, evolving feed formulation strategies, and functional ingredient development. The steady increase in demand for poultry, dairy, pork, and aquaculture products in rapidly urbanizing and protein-hungry economies—particularly in India, China, Vietnam, and sub-Saharan Africa—is a key driver for soybean meal utilization in feed. Additionally, advances in precision nutrition and feed efficiency optimization are encouraging livestock producers to use high-quality plant-based proteins like soybean meal to achieve faster growth rates and better feed conversion ratios. In parallel, the expansion of industrial livestock farming and vertically integrated agribusinesses is reinforcing stable and long-term demand for standardized, protein-rich feed ingredients. In the human food sector, rising interest in plant-based diets and sustainable protein alternatives is creating a nascent but growing market for food-grade soybean meal derivatives. The increasing availability of processed soybean meal variants tailored for aquafeed, pet food, and specialty animal segments is further diversifying market potential. Lastly, global efforts to reduce methane emissions, land use, and food waste in agriculture are pushing the sector to re-evaluate traditional feed sources in favor of scalable, efficient alternatives—putting soybean meal in a favorable position as a globally traded, high-protein solution that continues to adapt to emerging market demands and sustainability imperatives.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the Soybean Meals market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Nature (Conventional, Organic); End-Use (Food & Beverages, Animal Feed, Industrial Use)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 36 Featured) -

• AdamPolSoya
• Afrizon Pte Ltd.
• Agrocorp International Pte Ltd
• Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)
• Bunge Limited
• Cargill, Incorporated
• CHS Inc.
• COFCO Corporation
• Denofa AS
• DHN International
• Gauri Agrotech Products Pvt. Ltd.
• Granol Indústria Comércio e Exportação S/A
• Gujarat Ambuja Exports Limited
• Kohinoor Feeds and Fats Ltd.
• Louis Dreyfus Company B.V.
• Mahesh Agro Food Industries
• Mamta Hygiene Products Pvt. Ltd.
• Minnesota Soybean Processors
• Mukwano Industries Uganda Ltd.
• Nidera (acquired by COFCO)
• Nordic Soya Ltd.
• Satavie
• Shafer Commodities Inc.
• Sinograin
• SoyKitty
• The Scoular Company
• The United Soybean Board (USB)
• UFAC-UK
• Wilmar International Limited
• Wudi Deda Agriculture Co., Ltd.

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