Crop farming kills billions of wild animals annually through habitat destruction, pesticide use, and harvesting machinery. The welfare impact of plant-based diets includes significant wild animal deaths.
The welfare impact of crop farming on wild animals is substantial but often overlooked in comparisons between vegan and omnivore diets. Field mammals killed during harvest experience traumatic deaths. Pesticide deaths vary from rapid to prolonged depending on the chemical. Habitat loss displaces wildlife into marginal areas with reduced carrying capacity. However, the indirect effects of animal agriculture on wild animals - through the very much larger area of crops needed to feed livestock compared to humans - means that overall wild animal deaths from plant-based diets are likely lower than from omnivore diets.