The European market potential for groundnuts

Europe offers clear opportunities for groundnut exporters, as it depends heavily on imports. Demand is stable and supported by growth from the snacks, peanut butter, plant protein and food manufacturing industries. The Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy offer the most relevant routes into the European market. Food safety is the main condition for success, especially because of aflatoxin risks. Health, protein and plant-based trends can support future demand.

1. Product description: groundnuts

Groundnuts are the edible seeds of the species Arachis hypogaea L. European buyers use both names, ‘groundnuts’ and ‘peanuts’. Botanically, the crop is a legume. Groundnut cultivation has a special benefit for farmers as it improves the soil by fixing nitrogen from the air naturally.

In trade and food practice, groundnuts are treated as edible nuts and used in nut snacks. The main raw product lines are groundnuts in-shell and shelled groundnuts. Europe also trades many prepared products, especially peanut butter and other preserved groundnut products. 

Groundnuts grow in tropical and subtropical climates. The largest groundnut producers (in-shell basis) in the 2024/25 season were China (36% of the global production), India (14%), Nigeria (8%), the United States (6%) and Argentina (4%), according to the International Nuts & Dried Fruit Council (INC). Groundnuts can be cultivated once or twice a year depending on the climate. For more detailed information on groundnut production, read the University of Georgia’s peanut production guide. 

Figure 1: Groundnut field

Source: Image Peanut field by Bishnu Sarangi from Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

In Europe, the main consumer product is edible groundnuts for food use. The most relevant World Customs Organization (WCO) Harmonized System (HS) codes for the groundnut trade are shown in Table 1 below. 

Table 1: Harmonized System codes for the groundnut trade

Source: Autentika Global, ITC, 2026

Groundnuts reach the European market in several forms. The main forms are in-shell nuts, raw kernels, blanched kernels, unblanched kernels and roasted kernels. Buyers also ask for split, chopped and flavoured groundnut kernels for snacks and food manufacturing. Not all trade consists of kernels and in-shell nuts. Europe also imports more processed forms, such as peanut butter, peanut paste and peanut flour. 

In Europe, groundnuts are mainly consumed as snack products. They are mostly sold as roasted or fried kernels, with or without skins. Groundnuts are often salted, flavoured (often with salt, pepper, honey or chilli) or coated. Retail snack ranges also include roasted in-shell peanuts. 

Groundnuts are widely used as ingredients. They are processed into peanut butter and used in confectionery and bakery products. There is no European standard for peanut butter, and the peanut content varies from around 50% up to 100% for pure peanut butters. To stabilise peanut butter blends and eliminate separation, manufacturers may add a small amount of fully hydrogenated oil. Sugar or salt can be added for flavour.

Although groundnut oil and groundnut oilcake are also forms of processed peanuts, they are not the focus of this study. Oil and oilcake are separate product lines and are used by different buyer groups. For example, groundnut oilcake is used as a cheap nutrient substrate for the growth of microbes. Peanut oil is used for frying, sautéing and adding flavour.

Groundnuts are not a uniform product. Trade focuses on 4 market types. The Runner and Virginia types are most used in Europe, while Spanish (Java) and Valencia (Red Natal) groundnuts are less important. Runner types are important for peanut butter and are used as an ingredient. Virginia types have larger kernels and are well suited to the snack trade. Spanish types are smaller and valued for roasting, confectionery and ingredient use. Valencia types are usually sweeter and often sold in shell and used in natural-style peanut butters. 

Figure 2: Groundnut processing steps 

Source: Autentika Global, INC Peanut Technical Information Kit, 2026

Groundnuts are used as a snack product and food ingredient in Europe. Food manufacturers use them in confectionery, bakery, sauces, spreads and protein-rich ingredients. Peanut butter is very familiar to European consumers. In the Netherlands, 100% pure peanut butter is included in the country’s official healthy eating guide. 

One important product feature shapes the whole market: groundnuts are a major allergen and need to be declared according to European Union (EU) and UK rules. This affects all foods that use groundnut ingredients. For exporters, this means groundnut is a closely managed ingredient from a food safety and labelling perspective.

2. What makes Europe an interesting market for groundnuts?

Europe is an interesting market for groundnuts because it depends on imports. Europe produces very few groundnuts. As the market needs groundnuts for different use cases, this gives exporters several routes into the market.

Europe is not the fastest-growing market in the world. However, it is still attractive because buyers pay for quality, food safety, traceability and stable supply. Europe is attractive for exporters that can meet strict requirements. Other markets may offer good prices with lower compliance pressure, but they may be more volatile, more price-driven or less useful for building a premium reputation. There is space for well-organised exporters from low- and middle-income countries.

Figure 3: Uprooted groundnut plant with visible root system and underground shells 

Source: ‘Peanuts’ by uacescomm, CC BY 2.0

European groundnut imports from suppliers outside Europe increased by 2.9% annually in volume terms between 2021 and 2025. Annual growth in this study is expressed as compound annual growth rate or CAGR. The term ‘Europe’ is used here to refer to the EU, EFTA and UK markets.

Source: Autentika Global, ITC, Eurostat, 2026

More than 90% of the groundnut volume imported from outside Europe in 2025 came from low- and middle-income countries. The term ‘low- and middle-income countries’ in this report refers to countries on the OECD list of recipients of official development assistance.

Raw shelled groundnuts are the most important trade category. In value terms, 57% of Europe’s imports consisted of shelled groundnuts worth €1.4 billion in 2025. Argentina supplied the largest share of this, valued at €777 million. This is more than the next 10 suppliers combined. The 3 largest suppliers after Argentina were the Netherlands (€164 million), China (€113 million) and the United States (€71 million). 

Imports of processed groundnuts (mostly peanut butter) amounted to €892 million, or 37% in 2025. These imports were dominated by intra-European trade. The largest suppliers of processed groundnut products in 2025 were the Netherlands (€343 million), Germany (€109 million) and Poland (€75 million). 

Imports of in-shell groundnuts were worth €143 million in 2025. The largest suppliers were Egypt (€54 million), followed by the USA (€28 million), China (€22 million) and Israel (€10 million). The value of European in-shell groundnut imports declined by 2.8% every year between 2021 and 2025. This drop is the result of lower volume imports and import prices. 

Source: Autentika Global, ITC, 2026

The 6 largest importers of groundnuts in Europe can be seen in Figure 6. The Netherlands takes prime position as the main European trade hub. It imports, cleans, tests, stores and re-exports groundnuts. Germany has a very large food processing industry that needs raw materials. Poland is a large peanut processor that has imported more groundnuts over this 5-year period. Most of the leading European importers increased their imports between 2021 and 2025, except for France, which saw a 2.4% annual decline. 

Source: Autentika Global, ITC, Eurostat, 2026

In the 2025–2028 period, the European market for groundnuts is expected to grow by 3% in volume and 5% in value. Strong demand for snacks, plant-based products, natural and raw food will continue to drive demand for groundnuts in the longer term as well. 

Recent allergy-prevention research may support long-term peanut demand in Europe. New medical guidance in Europe now supports introducing peanuts in age-appropriate forms during complementary feeding. This may support demand for products like peanut butter and peanut powder. Any effect on total imports is likely to be gradual, because infant consumption is small and European birth rates are low. 

Low- and middle-income countries have clear opportunities in Europe. Many of them are already important suppliers to Europe. Egypt is the largest supplier of in-shell groundnuts to Europe. Argentina is Europe’s largest supplier and a major competitor. Groundnut exporters from Argentina have scale, robust quality systems and strong links with Dutch buyers. This raises the entry barrier for smaller exporters from other countries.

3. Which European countries offer the most opportunities for groundnuts?

The Netherlands is a major market for groundnuts in Europe because it is a major European trade hub and large consumer of groundnuts. Germany is a large market that also offers good opportunities for organic groundnuts. France and the UK rank high in importing processed groundnut products. Spain and Italy offer high demand for snack and in-shell products.

Source: Autentika Global, ITC, Eurostat, 2026

Figure 7 shows the apparent consumption of groundnuts in the 6 largest European markets between 2021 and 2025. Apparent consumption is calculated as the difference between exports and imports for each country. This method has some limitations. It does not directly measure per capita consumption. It cannot measure inventories, losses and non-food uses in a single year. However, it serves as a rough guide to the actual size of the market. 

The Netherlands: Europe’s main groundnut trade hub

The Netherlands is the largest entry market for bulk groundnuts. Dutch imports of groundnuts reached 393,000 tonnes in 2025. Dutch imports of groundnuts grew at an average annual rate of 4.4% between 2021 and 2025. More than 88% of the imported volume in 2025 came from low- and middle-income countries. Argentina alone supplied more than 271,000 tonnes, equal to 69.1% of all Dutch groundnut imports in 2025. Imports from Argentina are growing at an average annual rate of 4.8%.

China is the second largest groundnut supplier to the Netherlands, supplying 29,098 tonnes in 2025. Imports from China are growing fast, by an average of 11.8% per year. Dutch imports from Brazil amounted to almost 24,000 tonnes. Imports from Brazil are growing at the same 4.8% annual pace as those from Argentina. Nicaragua is the 6th largest supplier with 11,104 tonnes in 2025 and exports to the Netherlands are growing by 9.0% annually. 

Argentina is outperforming the USA (ranked fourth) in the Dutch groundnut import market because the Argentinean industry is highly export-oriented. Most of Argentina’s production is destined for export markets like the Netherlands. 

Apparent Dutch consumption of groundnuts increased by 4.2% annually between 2021 and 2025. Apparent consumption reached 128,758 tonnes in 2025, up from 108,318 tonnes in 2021. 

There is also demand for peanut-based sauces in the Netherlands. Indonesian cuisine has long influenced Dutch food culture. Dishes like gado-gado are served with peanut sauce, while saté is commonly eaten with a spiced peanut sauce known as ‘satésaus’. This has helped make groundnut sauce a well-established retail and foodservice product. It is also used as a condiment for barbecue and fries. Groundnut sauce is available in several versions, such as mild and spicy.

Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, gives the Netherlands a strong logistical advantage. The Port of Rotterdam handled 435.8 million tonnes of cargo in 2024. Its container position supports fast redistribution to food processors and packers. The Netherlands is the main European transit country for imported groundnuts. In 2025, the country re-exported 67% of all groundnuts it imported to other European markets. 

These reexports are done by many traders, brokers and agents, many of whom are active in Rotterdam. Most Dutch groundnut exports in 2025 were destined for Germany (96,247 tonnes), France (48,412 tonnes), Poland (25,058 tonnes) and Belgium (19,701 tonnes). 

Exporters can use the Netherlands in 2 ways. Larger exporters can target commodity importers and roasters. Smaller exporters should target organic traders or peanut butter specialists. The Dutch trade association for organic producers, processors and traders, BioNederland, describes the Netherlands as a leading organic processing and trade centre. Total organic retail turnover in organic products was set to exceed €2 billion, with growth of approximately 9% in 2025. 

Figure 8: Crunchy peanut butter in a glass jar

Source: Autentika Global, 2026

Peanut butter is an excellent opportunity for exporters of value-added products. Dutch peanut butter volumes grew a lot over the last decade. Dutch consumers now link peanut butter with plant protein and simple ingredients. An estimated two-thirds of all Dutch households have a jar of peanut butter in their kitchen cupboard.

Examples of Dutch traders, agents and suppliers include:

• Aldebaran Commodities;
• Rotterdam Commodity Trading;
• Bohemia Nut Company;
• QFN Trading & Agency. 

Many Dutch companies also process groundnuts. Important examples include Bredabest, Snack Connection and coated and dry-roasted groundnuts maker Virgin Nuts. 

Bredabest is especially interesting for its peanut butter and peanut ingredients. Its 2025 acquisition by Natra shows that peanut-based spreads and ingredients are becoming more strategic in Europe. Natra is one of Europe’s leading private label and co-manufacturing companies for chocolate products. Bohemia Nut Company is also relevant for exporters in sustainable niches, as it focuses on organic high-oleic peanuts from Mexico.

Stockinvest is another relevant Dutch peanut processor. It is a subsidiary of C. Steinweg Group. Stockinvest is one of Europe’s biggest suppliers of roasted peanuts and peanut paste. Its products are sold across Europe. Stockinvest also shows a strong link between logistics at the Port of Rotterdam and peanut processing. At Steinweg’s Beneluxhaven location, peanuts are stored, cleaned and processed into finished products. The site has a 12,500 m² temperature-controlled warehouse for peanuts. Steinweg also offers blanching and roasting services for nuts in Rotterdam.

De NotenBeurs is a good example of a Dutch wholesaler and packer. The company has experience with nuts, groundnuts, dried fruits and related products. Its FSSC 22000 certificate covers the mixing, packing and repacking of peanuts, tree nuts and related products. The certificate also covers wholesale to industry and resellers.

Parto Rotterdam and Cornhouse are also important Dutch groundnut traders. Parto focuses on groundnuts and links producers with end users. Cornhouse supplies snack food manufacturers worldwide.

Germany: A large industrial market with strong organic demand

Germany is one of Europe’s largest groundnut markets. In 2025, German groundnut imports reached 176,000 tonnes. Imports grew by 0.4% annually between 2021 and 2025. Low- and middle-income countries supplied 51% of German groundnut imports in 2025. The Netherlands was the largest individual exporter to Germany with a 32% share, followed by Argentina with 31% and the USA with 6%. Other notable suppliers include India (6%), Egypt (5%) and Luxembourg (4%). 

German imports from the Netherlands increased by 28% annually between 2021 and 2025. Imports from low- and middle-income countries dropped by 9% per year in the same period. Most low- and middle-income countries have seen their share of the German market drop, except for India and China. India’s exports to Germany increased by 30% annually, while Chinese exports increased by 8%. 

Apparent consumption of groundnuts in Germany decreased by 0.3% every year between 2021 and 2025. Apparent consumption totalled 128,832 tonnes in 2025, down from 130,565 tonnes in 2021. 

Germany has a professional import structure. The Waren-Verein der Hamburger Börse trade association represents importers of nuts, processed fruits and vegetables, and organic goods. Hamburg is an important hub for European nut trade. 

The main export opportunity in Germany is in its stable industrial supply. German roasters, packers and food manufacturers need regular quality and stable volumes. They use groundnuts in snacks, bakery, confectionery and peanut butter.

Germany is also a strong organic and Fairtrade market. German organic food and drink sales grew from €17.09 billion in 2024 to €18.23 billion in 2025, an increase of 6.7%. German sources reported stronger growth for dried organic products than for fresh food. 

Fairtrade is also a valuable niche market in Germany. Fairtrade sales reached €2.9 billion in 2024. Sales value grew by 13%, while volume grew by 5% compared to the previous year. German consumers show strong interest in fairtrade, supported by rising Fairtrade purchases and wide retail availability.

GEPA shows how fair groundnuts can enter the German market. It sells fair trade peanuts from Malawi, Mozambique and Nicaragua. Family-owned Dutch peanut importer and processor Swartberg, which also operates in Germany, has also reported growing demand for organic peanut butter.

Seeberger and Farmer’s Snack are major retail brands for nuts and snacks in Germany. ATCO and Omnitrade are relevant importers and wholesalers. Fresh Nuts/Meray is a notable player in the German roasted and packed peanut product market. Intersnack is another important player in savoury snacks in Germany. Its ültje brand has a strong position in the German peanut snack market. Nutwork is also relevant, as it supplies nuts and dried fruit to German retailers, including private-label products for supermarkets and discounters.

The United Kingdom: Strong peanut butter and snacking demand

The UK is a strong market for processed groundnuts. In 2025, it imported 27,279 tonnes of prepared groundnuts. The Netherlands supplied 58% of these imports by value, followed by Argentina (18%), the United States (7%) and Germany (3%).

The peanut butter segment offers good opportunities for groundnut suppliers. UK trade media has reported rising demand for natural nut butters. Companies that offer less processed versions of peanut butter, like ManiLife, Meridian and Pip & Nut, reported stronger sales in 2025 compared to the year before.

Between 2021 and 2025 the UK’s overall groundnut imports rose by 0.7% annually, reaching 135,000 tonnes. The UK exports only 8,612 tonnes of groundnuts every year, less than Germany and the Netherlands. The UK’s apparent consumption is among the highest in Europe at around 126,500 tonnes. 

The UK is supplied mostly by low- and middle-income countries that provided more than 81% of groundnut products in 2025. Argentina accounted for almost half of this. It has a 47% share of the UK import market, or 63,639 tonnes. China is second with 10.7%, slightly more than Nicaragua with 10.6%. The UK imports slightly less than 10% of its groundnuts from the Netherlands and the USA. 

India was one of the fastest growing groundnut suppliers to the UK between 2021 and 2025. India’s annual exports to the UK grew by 41.6% to 8,455 tonnes in 2025 during this period. Growth from low- and middle-income countries was also positive, amounting to 3.2% per year. 

The UK’s apparent consumption of groundnuts rose by 1.2% annually during this 5-year period, reaching 126,584 tonnes in 2025. The UK is not a large re-exporter of groundnuts. The country exported just 8,612 tonnes of groundnuts in 2025. Exports fell by 5.1% annually between 2021 and 2025. 

The main hurdle is strict control on contaminants. The Food Standards Agency imposes extra checks on groundnuts and peanut products from some origins. The checks concern aflatoxins and other food safety risks.

In the next 1–3 years, UK demand for peanut butter and nut butter ingredients should keep growing. Market sources link this growth to plant-based protein, healthy snacking, reduced sugar, low salt and new flavours. The UK consumes more snacks and treats than the global average, indicating significant potential for exporters.

Examples of UK groundnut importers and processors include Premier Fruit & Nut, Humdinger Foods and the Roasting Company. Premier Fruit & Nut supplies nuts and dried fruit to the manufacturing and packing sectors. Humdinger Foods focuses on nuts, seeds and dried fruit snacks. The Roasting Company processes bulk peanuts and tree nuts through roasting, chopping and flavouring.

Snack and peanut butter brands are some of the largest users of groundnuts. KP Snacks is important thanks to its KP Nuts brand. Peanut butter brands are also important, such as Pip & Nut, Meridian, Whole Earth, Sun-Pat and ManiLife.

Bird and animal feed is another market segment for groundnut suppliers. Important companies include Marriage’s, Kennedy Wild Bird Food and JKT Foods UK. However, exporters should treat this as a separate channel. Some importers may use groundnuts that are not fully fit for human consumption as animal feed. 

France: Europe’s largest import market for processed groundnuts

France offers the most opportunities for processed groundnuts in Europe. In 2025, France was the second largest global importer of prepared groundnuts after the USA in terms of volume. In value terms, France was the largest global importer of processed groundnuts in 2025. In 2025, France imported 52,513 tonnes of processed groundnuts worth €168.3 million. 

In April 2026, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) shortlisted groundnuts, almonds and pistachios among the top 10 growth products among ingredients in France. 

French imports of groundnuts decreased by 2.4% per year between 2021 and 2025 according to Eurostat data. French groundnut imports reached an unusually high 111,789 tonnes in 2021 according to Eurostat. 

If French imports for 2021–2025 are calculated based on ITC data, French groundnut imports increased by 4.5% annually during this period. ITC data shows that France imported just 88,071 tonnes of groundnuts in 2021. 

This study uses the ITC data as it seems more consistent with normal trade patterns. Most of this difference between ITC and Eurostat data is the result of France’s groundnut imports from Belgium in 2021. While Eurostat shows that France imported an unusually high 32,323 tonnes of groundnuts from Belgium in 2021, ITC shows imports of 6,068 tonnes from Belgium in the same year.

France’s groundnut exports are small, and amounted to less than 5,000 tonnes in 2025. Apparent consumption in France has decreased by 2.8% annually between 2021 and 2025, based on Eurostat import data. However, this should be taken with caution, as the 2021 import data may be incorrect. 

Low- and middle-income countries play a smaller role in the French market than in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK. However, their share of the market rose by 13.1% every year. Supplies from low- and middle-income countries increased from 30,886 tonnes in 2021 to 50,538 tonnes in 2025. The French-speaking country of Togo increased its groundnut exports by 6.7% annually to 1,918 tonnes in 2025. Argentina is the largest supplier. It grew its share by 13.4% annually to 37,667 tonnes in 2025. The Netherlands exported 36,232 tonnes in 2025 and was the second largest supplier to France. 

Important French importers, processors and wholesalers include Color Foods, Haudecœur, Agidra and Palimex. These companies supply retail, wholesale, foodservice and industrial buyers. Palimex is a wholesaler that roasts, processes and packs dried fruit and nuts for professional buyers.

France has several important snack brands that use groundnuts. Menguy’s sells roasted, salted, dry-roasted and in-shell peanuts. Daco Bello is another major French dried-fruit and nut brand. It roasts and coats nuts in its own facility in Ablis. Intersnack France is important thanks to its brands such as Vico, Curly and Apérifruits. Bénénuts, linked to PepsiCo’s French professional channel, is also relevant for roasted peanuts and coated peanut snacks.

Ethiquable sells organic and Fairtrade peanut butter made only from groundnuts. Jean Hervé sells organic peanut purée and organic Fairtrade peanut purée.

Spain: A strong snack market for in-shell and processed groundnuts

Spain is a big market for snack groundnuts. Imports to Spain increased by 5.8% per year, reaching 71,782 tonnes in 2025. This is the fastest growth rate of the top 6 European markets between 2021 and 2025. Interestingly, Spanish groundnut exports also grew the fastest in the same period, at an annual rate of 11.7%. Exports were still relatively small and amounted to 8,335 tonnes in 2025. 

More than 67.6% of Spanish groundnut imports came from low- and middle-income countries. The 2 largest suppliers in 2025 were Argentina, with 20,467 tonnes, and China, with 19,462 tonnes. Exports from both countries have grown by more than 5% per year. The third largest exporter, the USA, saw its share of the Spanish market decrease by 0.9% annually. One of the fastest growing suppliers to Spain is Poland, which had an annual growth of 37.7% between 2021 and 2025. 

Poland’s fast growth as a supplier to Spain seems to be linked to processing, packing and intra-EU redistribution. Poland recorded no exports of in-shell groundnuts to Spain in 2025 and exported only 96 tonnes of shelled groundnuts. By contrast, exports of prepared or preserved groundnuts to Spain more than doubled, from 1,816 tonnes in 2021 to 3,691 tonnes in 2025. Prepared groundnuts accounted for almost all Polish groundnut exports to Spain in 2025.

Most of this trade was in immediate packages of more than 1 kg, which suggests supply to food manufacturers, packers or foodservice buyers. Exports of peanut butter from Poland to Spain also increased from €516,000 in 2021 to €2.3 million in 2025.

Poland has several nut-processing and packing companies. One example is Importaco Poland, which is part of the Spanish Importaco Group. Importaco Poland specialises in the production and distribution of nuts and nut pastes for the European market. 

Traditionally, Spain has not been a major consumer of peanut butter. However, industry sources have indicated this is changing with greater demand in recent years. Imports of processed groundnuts increased from less than 8,000 tonnes in 2021 to 13,177 tonnes in 2025. Imports of in-shell groundnuts are also relatively large. They reached almost 15,000 tonnes in 2025, slightly less than Germany’s 17,576 tonnes. 

Spanish households consume large volumes of nuts. Spanish state-owned distributor Mercasa reported household nut consumption of 166.4 million kg in 2024. Volumes were slightly higher than in 2023. According to the Mercasa study, total home consumption of in-shell groundnuts amounted to 6.8 million kg. Home consumption of shelled groundnuts was 9.5 million kg in 2024. 

The main companies in the groundnut and snacks market are Grupo Importaco, Frit Ravich, Calconut, Frumesa, Borges Agricultural & Industrial Nuts (BAIN), Borges Medina Foods Company (part of Borges group since 2025), Ferrer Segarra and Facundo Blanco. Importaco is one of Spain’s leading nut companies and supplies the retail and food industry channels. Frit Ravich and Facundo are large snack brands, while Calconut focuses more on nut solutions for brands, retailers and the food industry.

Spain offers several routes to market for groundnut exporters. Large suppliers can target industrial buyers and private-label packers. Smaller exporters may find better opportunities in snack-grade peanuts, organic products or blanched, roasted or in-shell groundnut formats.

Italy: Strong in-shell demand and growing nut consumption

Italy offers a clear market opportunity for suppliers offering in-shell groundnuts. More than 33% of Italy’s volume imports in 2025 consisted of in-shell groundnuts. The 2 largest suppliers of in-shell groundnuts were Egypt with 17,287 tonnes and Israel with 1,934 tonnes. 

Between 2021 and 2025, Italy’s overall groundnut imports rose by 2.8% annually to 61,957 tonnes. Italy’s exports are relatively small, amounting to 6,549 tonnes in 2025. As a result, Italy’s apparent consumption of 55,408 tonnes is larger than Poland’s, even though Poland imports more groundnuts than Italy. 

Italy imported 72.8% of all groundnuts from low- and middle-income countries in 2025. Argentina supplied 37.7% of Italy’s imports, equal to more than 23,000 tonnes. Egypt ranks second with 28.7%, ahead of third-ranked exporter the Netherlands, with 12.5%. The fastest growing suppliers to Italy between 2021 and 2025 were the Netherlands with an annual growth rate of 28%, followed by Germany with a growth of 7%. 

According to ISMEA data, nut consumption in Italy reached 675,000 tonnes in 2024. Consumption in Italy has evolved from a niche product, consumed primarily during the holidays, to a year-round trend. In the retail sector, 2025 set a record. Sales of packaged nuts exceeded €1.1 billion (+13% compared to 2024) and, in terms of volume, surpassed 89 million kg (+6%). Shelled groundnuts accounted for 14% of this volume and 7% of the value. In-shell groundnuts represented 10% of the volume and 5% of the value. 

Retail sales of packaged shelled groundnuts increased by 0.4% in value and 2.3% in volume in 2025. Retail sales of packaged in-shell groundnuts fell by 2.4% in value and increased by 6.5% in volume in 2025. 

While retail demand is growing, Italy’s food industry creates extra demand. Groundnuts are used for many things, including as snacks, spreads, bakery and ice cream ingredients. 

Besana is one of Italy’s main nut processors and private-label suppliers. Spain’s Importaco bought 51% of Besana in 2020. Euro Company is an important player in the groundnut trade thanks to its multiple brands, selling nut snacks, including groundnuts. Noberasco, Life and New Factor’s Mister Nut brand also sell roasted, salted, coated and in-shell peanut products. Manuzzi is a relevant Italian company because it supplies nuts and groundnuts to wholesale and retail buyers, including private-label products.

Italy also offers opportunities in peanut butter and clean-label spreads. Damiano Organic produces organic 100% roasted peanut cream. Probios sells organic peanut butter products. Fiorentini Alimentari sells 100% peanut butter with no added sugar, palm oil or added salt. 

4. Which trends offer opportunities or pose threats in the European groundnuts market?

Groundnuts are a strong import product in Europe and their consumption is driven by a wider trend towards healthier, plant-based eating. However, climate change and dry weather in groundnut-producing countries often increase the presence of aflatoxins. 

Health, protein and peanut butter are making groundnuts more visible

European consumers look for affordable protein, healthier snacks and plant-based products more and more often. Groundnuts fit this trend well. Groundnuts are very rich in protein, fibre and fats, making them popular ingredients in snacks, sauces and spreads. Peanut butter also benefits from this trend. Brands now use it in protein bars, smoothies, bakery fillings and sports snacks.

Figure 9: Protein bar made with groundnuts

Source: Autentika Global, 2026

Plant-based sales data shows that sales in France, Germany, Italy and Spain are growing, especially through cheaper private-label products. Germany alone reached €1.68 billion in plant-based retail sales across 6 main categories in 2024. Half of consumers in the UK and Germany want to eat more plant-based foods or less meat and dairy.

The UK has a mature peanut butter market and a strong snacking culture. UK consumers are also shifting from chocolate and crisps to fruit, nuts, yoghurts and protein bars. Kantar and NIQ data cited by The Guardian showed higher purchases of nuts and protein products in 2024. Groundnuts, as a lower-cost plant protein, are benefiting from this growing demand for protein-rich foods. 

UK brands are also paying more attention to natural, minimally processed and palm-oil-free peanut butter. Trade press reports rising demand for natural nut butters. Meridian recently launched a range of ‘protein packed peanut butter’ because of high demand. This peanut butter is manufactured from the most protein-packed peanuts and contains 30 g of protein per 100 g, without other added ingredients. 

France, Italy and Spain also offer room for growth. Peanut butter is less traditional than in the Netherlands and the UK. Peanut butter consumption in France has been steadily increasing. French processor Nut Expert has also invested €10 million in peanut butter production in France to meet growing demand. 

Climate change and aflatoxins make food safety the main market threat

Aflatoxins are still the most important threat to groundnut exporters. They can occur in groundnuts before and after harvest. Aflatoxin B1 is the most common in food and one of the most potent genotoxic and carcinogenic aflatoxins. These fungi are often found in soils where peanuts grow and can infect them under the correct conditions.

EU rules set maximum levels for contaminants in food. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 lays down these limits. This regulation replaced an older contaminant regulation from 2006. 

Recent EU warning data confirm the risk. The 2024 Alert and Cooperation Network annual report states that groundnuts were the most frequently reported nut product. The main reason was aflatoxin contamination.

Climate change makes aflatoxin management in groundnuts harder. Heat, drought and bad drying conditions increase quality risks. Recent studies show that drought can reduce peanut yield and increase aflatoxin risk. Other research links climate change with higher mycotoxin risks in vulnerable crops, such as groundnuts and maize. Aflatoxin contamination is increasing in continental regions in the middle latitudes (40–55° North) because of global warming and rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Exporters from low- and middle-income countries should implement aflatoxin checks as strictly as possible if they want to avoid border rejections. Groundnut shipments with aflatoxin levels above the maximum limit are destroyed. Suppliers should dry groundnuts quickly, avoid drying on bare soil, sort damaged kernels and test lots before shipment. The FAO guidance on groundnut practices for small farmers also highlights good drying, sorting and storage.

EU checks will remain strict. In the long term, climate change will make prevention more important. Exporters that invest in drying, storage, testing and farmer training will be safer partners.

The National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) has successfully regained access to the European groundnut export market. It relied on practical help from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to safeguard groundnuts from aflatoxin contamination. NASFAM uses ICRISAT’s affordable, fast and simple cELISA detection kit that can analyse up to 200 samples a day, even in remote areas. 

Autentika Global carried out this study on behalf of CBI.

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