High potential contribution of intercropping to soybean and maize self-sufficiency in Europe

The European Union is currently not self-sufficient in soybean and maize. Increasing domestic production of one of these species could reduce the production of the other. We examine the potential for maize-soybean intercropping to improve the European Unions soybean self-sufficiency while minimizing competition with maize and other crops. Assuming a one-in-four years frequency, 25%, 50%, and 75% self-sufficiency would be achieved with 6.3, 13.1, and 20.1 Mha of maize-soybean intercropping, resulting in total co-production of 37.9, 81.9, and 126.2 Mt of both crops, respectively. Meeting 100% of European soybean demand (i.e., 36.3 Mt) would require growing intercropping on more than 25% of European cropland (25 Mha) every year. To achieve comparable levels of co-production, separate cultivation of the two species would require an additional 36.5, 24.7, and 11.1 Mha of land, corresponding to an estimated land saving of 20- 21% under intercropping. These estimates held provided that soybean production from 1 hectare of intercropping exceeded that from 0.5 ha of sole soybean. Ensuring the European Unions self-sufficiency in a sustainable way is a challenge requiring multiple levers. Our results underline that intercropping is an effective strategy to simultaneously improve European soybean production, satisfy maize needs, and save cultivated lands.