Feed Plant-based Protein Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Global Feed Plant-based Protein Market Trends and Insights

Rising Demand for Sustainable Animal Nutrition

Sustainability mandates from retailers and quick-service restaurant chains are reshaping feed procurement. Multinationals have tied executive bonuses to Scope 3 emission cuts, pushing suppliers toward low-carbon ingredients. Cargill’s USD 75 million PURIS investment secures pea protein volumes and embeds life-cycle assessment metrics into purchasing decisions. New partnerships with mycoprotein producers such as ENOUGH widen the raw material pool beyond soy. As downstream buyers publish carbon-indexed scorecards, plant proteins with verified footprints attract premium pricing, helping the feed plant-based protein market gain share in high-margin value chains.

Cost Volatility in Fishmeal and Animal Proteins

Fishmeal prices surpassed USD 1,800 per metric ton several times in 2024, according tothe Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, widening the cost gap with soy and pea concentrates. Peru’s anchovy catch shortfalls and China’s lower imports created supply shocks that lifted volatility indexes. ADM’s 40% expansion in Brazilian plant-protein output reduces exposure to marine-protein cycles while positioning the company for South American aquaculture growth. Many feed mills now run software that automatically switches to plant inputs once animal protein prices breach pre-set ceilings, structurally benefiting the feed plant-based protein market.

Processing Innovations Enhancing Digestibility

Fermentation platforms such as MycoTechnology’s FermentIQ and Novozymes’ enzymatic hydrolysis protocols have pushed Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Scores close to 1.0. Solid-state fermentation trims antinutritional factors and boosts bioactive peptide levels, creating functional advantages like immune modulation in broilers. These improvements allow plant proteins to match the growth performance historically associated with fishmeal in shrimp and salmon diets, lifting inclusion rates and enlarging the feed plant-based protein market size.

Aquaculture Feed Capacity Expansion

Asia-Pacific now produces more aquaculture volume than the rest of the world combined, and new indoor recirculating systems require specialized high-protein feeds. China’s shrimp farms are raising stocking densities under stricter coastal regulations, accelerating demand for alternative proteins that lower nitrogen discharge. Indian policy bodies signed multiple memoranda to promote insect and plant proteins in aqua feeds, giving local mills regulatory clarity. Global ingredient suppliers are responding with dedicated aquaculture innovation centers, expanding the geographic reach of the feed plant-based protein market.

Amino-Acid Profile Gaps Versus Animal Proteins

Soy and pea proteins trail fishmeal in lysine, methionine, and threonine levels, forcing formulators to add synthetic amino acids that raise cost and regulatory complexity ^{[1]Source: PubMed, “Techno-functional properties of dry-fractionated plant-based proteins,” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov} . High-performance starter feeds for salmon fry typically cap plant inclusion at 40% to prevent growth setbacks. This limitation not only reduces protein digestibility and feed efficiency but also hinders optimal weight gain, thereby constraining the immediate addressable share of the feed plant-based protein market in premium aquaculture.

Price Sensitivity Among Feed Formulators

Feed mills operate on razor-thin margins and switch suppliers swiftly when ingredient spreads tighten. In regions where soy concentrates exceed USD 980 per metric ton, budget-constrained poultry growers revert to lower-cost conventional oilseed cakes. Smaller mills often lack advanced formulation software to optimize multi-protein blends, further slowing adoption of premium isolates and concentrates within the feed plant-based protein market, especially in cost-sensitive and rural production environments.

Segment Analysis

By Source: Soy Dominance Faces Pea Protein Challenge

Soy protein accounted for about 60% of the feed plant-based protein market size in 2024, due to its mature crushing networks and balanced amino acid profiles, which are well-suited for poultry and swine diets. Pea protein, free of common allergens, is outpacing all rivals with a 12.5% CAGR to 2030 as fermentation boosts digestibility to animal-grade thresholds, widening the feed plant-based protein market size for this source. 

Roquette’s launch of fava bean protein isolate marks a diversification effort that reduces GMO exposure and addresses allergen regulations. DSM-Firmenich’s alliance with Meala FoodTech enhances the functionality of texturized pea protein for premium feeds. Wheat and canola proteins fill niche functional roles, while rice, potato, and early-stage algae proteins explore specialty segments. As precision fermentation advances, microbial proteins could emerge as next-gen competitors within the feed plant-based protein market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Livestock: Poultry Leadership with Aquaculture Acceleration

Poultry diets captured a 34% share of the feed plant-based protein market size in 2024, reflecting birds’ efficient utilization of soybean and pea concentrates. Aquaculture, led by shrimp and tilapia, is projected to log a 10.4% CAGR, the fastest among animal groups, as environmental rules cap fishmeal inclusion in coastal ponds. 

Broiler producers in the European Union utilize fermented chive additives and soy-pea blends to sustain growth without the use of antibiotics. Swine integrators adopt phytogenic fortification to stabilize gut microflora, while ruminant formulas explore bypass proteins that escape rumen degradation. Pet and specialty feeds utilize premium plant isolates with tailored palatability, expanding high-margin niches for the feed industry's plant-based protein sector.

By Form: Concentrates Stability with Isolates Innovation

Concentrates held a 47% share of the feed plant-based protein market size in 2024, balancing cost and protein density for mainstream rations. Isolates, although more capital-intensive, are on track for an 11.2% CAGR as high-purity demands increase in aqua starter feeds and premium pet food. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, nearly half of China’s whey protein concentrate imports, a form of high-purity animal feed protein, are directed toward animal feed applications, underlining strong demand for concentrated protein sources in feed markets^{[2]Source: Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, “ERS Data Provide First Government Estimates of Commercial Domestic Disappearance of Whey Products," usda.gov}.

Electrospinning research shows how pea and zein isolates can form fibrous textures that improve feed intake in carnivorous fish. All Things Bugs’ insect powder patent hints at new hybrid protein forms that may eventually overlap plant categories. As energy-efficient extraction and membrane filtration reduce isolation costs, the feed plant-based protein market experiences a technology-driven boost.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

North America accounted for 32.4% of the feed plant-based protein market in 2024, anchored by an abundant soy supply and clear regulatory pathways for novel ingredients. Cargill’s PURIS expansion and ADM’s Brazilian output surge position the region as both a production and innovation hub. Canada’s 2025 feed labeling amendments improve transparency, encouraging formulators to trial new plant proteins^{[3]Source: Canada Gazette, “Regulations Amending Certain Canadian Food Inspection Agency Regulations,” gazette.gc.ca}.

Asia-Pacific is forecast to register an 11.6% CAGR through 2030, the highest regionally, propelled by China’s intensifying shrimp sector and India’s policy support for alternative proteins. Local mills increasingly blend pea and canola proteins to reduce fishmeal reliance. Japanese and Australian buyers pay premiums for verified-sustainable inputs, helping enlarge the feed plant-based protein market size in developed sub-regions.

Europe maintains steady expansion under stringent sustainability and antibiotic directives. Patent filings for alternative proteins rose sharply in the past decade, and companies like Roquette and COSUCRA specialize in differentiated pea and fava isolates. Brexit-driven customs shifts create both supply-chain friction and on-shore manufacturing incentives. Middle East and Africa remain nascent but are adopting plant proteins in poultry integrator chains as maize-soy spreads narrow.