Food security: why Primary Food Processors matter
Depending on the specific activity, between 45% and 90% of the ingredients processed by the industry end up in food, making it an essential contributor to food security in the EU. The remaining part of the output provides essential inputs to animal feed, energy, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, as well as industrial uses.
The primary food processing sector transforms a wide range of agricultural raw materials into ingredients and products used across food, feed, energy and industrial value chains.
| Sector | Raw materials | End products |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable oils and meals | Rapeseed, soya, sunflower seed, linseed, palm, coconut | Vegetable oils used in food, such as margarine and bottled oil, and non food uses such as biodiesel and biochemicals. Protein meal is used as feed. |
| Vegetable proteins | Wheat, soya, peas, potato, rice, legumes | Protein flours, isolates and concentrates sold to secondary processors producing plant based protein goods, such as meat and dairy alternatives, and animal feed. |
| Flour milling | Wheat, rye, oats | Different types of flours sold in bulk to secondary processors, bakeries and feed producers. |
| Starch | Wheat, corn, potato, peas, rice, oats | Starches and derivatives, proteins and fibres used as key ingredients in food, feed and industrial applications. |
| Sugar | Sugar beets, mainly from France, Germany and Poland | Sugar for food and industrial use, animal feed, molasses, bioethanol and biomethane. |
| Cocoa | Cocoa beans, 100% imported, mainly from smallholders in West Africa | Paste, powder and butter, later made into chocolate and other confectionery products. |
In 2024, primary food processors handled more than 248 million tonnes of raw agricultural commodities, the vast majority of which were sourced within the European Union.
| Industry | Raw commodities processed in 2024 | Of which sourced from the EU |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable oils | 50.6 million tonnes | 32.1 million tonnes |
| Vegetable proteins | 16.4 million tonnes | 16.4 million tonnes |
| Flour mill products | 47 million tonnes | 42.3 million tonnes |
| Starches | 22 million tonnes | 22 million tonnes |
| Sugar | 110.7 million tonnes | 110.7 million tonnes |
| Cocoa | 1.6 million tonnes | 0 million tonnes |
| Primary food processing total | 248.3 million tonnes | 223.5 million tonnes |
The sector generated a production value of €78 billion in 2023, representing approximately 7% of the total value of the European food processing industry.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total production value of the primary food processing industry in 2023 | €78 billion |
| Share of total food processing industry value | 7% |
Primary food processing is supported by a diverse network of companies operating across Europe, ranging from large scale processors to specialised manufacturers.
| Industry activity | Estimated number of companies in the EU in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Vegetable oils | 70 |
| Flour mill products | Approximately 2,800 |
| Sugar | 34 |
| Vegetable proteins | 125 |
| Starches | 30 |
| Cocoa | 29 |
The industry directly employs more than 137,500 people across the European Union and supports many more jobs throughout the wider agri food value chain.
| Industry | Direct jobs |
|---|---|
| Vegetable oils | 20,000 |
| Vegetable proteins | 32,500 |
| Flour mill products | 45,000 |
| Starches | 16,000 |
| Sugar | 24,000 |
| Cocoa | N/A |
| Primary food processors total | 137,500 direct jobs |
Beyond direct employment, primary food processors play a vital role in supporting farm incomes and agricultural employment across Europe, with more than 1.1 million farmers linked to these value chains.
| Industry | Indirect farm level employment in 2023 |
|---|---|
| Oils and fats | 503,548 persons |
| Wheat flour mill products | 329,246 persons |
| Sugar | 101,548 persons |
| Vegetable proteins | 123,851 persons |
| Starches and starch products | 110,646 persons |
| Total | 1,168,840 farmers |
