Animal Welfare Regulations Livestock Procurement

The EU Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan: next steps for the food industry

By Foods Connected team 31/07/2026

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A guide for manufacturers, processors, retailers and foodservice operators wanting to prepare for the EU's Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan.

The EU Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan, announced by the European Commission on 7 July 2026, is a first-of-its-kind plan for EU farming.

It lays out an ambitious roadmap to tackle economic, environmental and market challenges, transitioning the €400 billion livestock industry toward greater long-term resilience.

But the implications extend far beyond the farmgate. With new expectations for origin data, welfare verification, protein sourcing mix and biosecurity records, the EU’s new vision for European livestock farming looks set to cascade down the supply chain, affecting manufacturers, processors, retailers and QSR operators alike.

The five priorities of the EU Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan

At its core, the EU Livestock Strategy sets out five priorities for the future of European livestock farming. Crisis preparedness, competitiveness, sustainability, regional diversity, excellence in production.

These are driven by the need to reduce risk exposure for farmers, boost profitability, improve animal welfare, support vulnerable under-resourced regions, and strengthened origin labelling, geographical indicators and higher standards.

It also sets out a target to increase the share of EU-grown protein in animal feed from 25.8% to 35% by 2035 (the “35 by 35 target) in a bid to reduce reliance on imported soy.

We break down the key impacts of the EU Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan on manufacturers, processors, retailers and foodservice operators.

Three key takeaways for processors

Processors should prepare for greater scrutiny of both supplier data and sourcing decisions as the strategy takes effect.

Track, collect and share

The joint strategy strengthens disease preparedness measures via enhanced surveillance, expanded vaccination regimens, an EFSA review of disease categories and strengthened risk management tools. For processors, more granular data on biosecurity and animal health status will need to be tracked, collected and shared across the supplier network, rather than solely retained at farm level.

A supplier base shift

A dedicated roadmap for low capacity and mobile slaughterhouses signals the EU’s support for localised value chains, with processing kept closer to production regions. For processors in vulnerable or lower-density regions this may see their supplier base shift.

Be proactive

With the strategy’s drive for protein self-sufficiency, those processors that move quickly to explore and incorporate new ingredient categories, such as homegrown pulses, soya and other plant proteins, will gain a competitive advantage.

If you do one thing...

To get ahead of the curve, design qualification and traceability processes for those protein inputs that don’t yet have an established compliance history in your supplier system now.

Three key takeaways for retailers

Public-facing retailers will need confidence that every claim made on pack can be backed by robust supplier data.

Ensure rigorous data verification

With its emphasis on origin labelling and quality recognition, the strategy raises the bar on on-pack claims like ‘EU origin’ and those related to welfare. Retailers will need to rigorously verify the data behind every claim to ensure compliance, both for private label and branded lines.

Champion higher standards

As part of the strategy’s pillar on excellence, higher standards on quality, sustainability and welfare are set to become more visible and transparent to shoppers too, creating a competitive advantage for those retailers that can champion these elements on shelf via more comprehensive product datasets.

One rule for all

Import equivalence rules in which non-EU goods must align with EU welfare standards shift some compliance risks onto those retailers’ importing products from outside the EU – mislabelling or unverified claims could carry real reputational risk.

If you do one thing...

Check early whether current supplier and provenance data holds up against higher requirements for origin labelling and welfare claims to reduce risk and ensure preparedness.

Three key takeaways for QSR / foodservice

The strategy's ambitions around welfare, protein sourcing and disease prevention look set to wield considerable influence on supplier selection and menu development in foodservice.

Prioritise transparent supply chains

QSR buyers should look to surface questions on protein origin mix in supplier questionnaires and RFPs and reflect this in menu and ingredient specs, to take into account the EU’s ambition to transition to more homegrown protein sources.

Get ahead of regulatory revisions

Fixed proposal dates for animal welfare revisions – layers/broilers by end of 2026 and pigs by end of 2027 – are set to alter sourcing specs for livestock. Menu items that include any chicken, egg or pork-derived ingredients should be reviewed now for compliance, well ahead of transition deadlines.

Double down on disease prevention

An emphasis on disease prevention should be reflected in supplier reviews, with greater granularity on health and biosecurity measures to ensure compliance.

If you do one thing...

Reframe supplier review criteria to reflect the joint strategy’s new priorities, taking into account disease prevention, welfare and protein diversification.

The common thread

At each juncture, the EU’s Livestock Strategy and Protein Action Plan emphasises data and verification, be it livestock origin, welfare status, biosecurity history or emissions.

Those manufacturers, processors, retailers and QSR operators that can track and collate this evidence early – before any formal transition deadline lands – will therefore have a clear advantage, with less disruption and less risk of non-compliance throughout the process.

At Foods Connected, our platform connects supplier, quality, production and compliance data in one centralised view, making it far simpler for businesses to spot risk early, identify compliance gaps and make informed decisions. Request a demo to find out more.

Foods Connected team

The Foods Connected team of experts all come from industry and are specialists in food safety compliance, strategic sourcing, traceability and animal welfare.