Wild Animals

Welfare of Animals in Plant-Based Food Crop Production

While plant-based diets reduce farmed animal use significantly, crop production causes wildlife mortality through habitat conversion, field operations, and pesticide use.

Key Facts

Combine harvester operation kills field mammals including rabbits, hares, and pheasants
Monoculture agriculture has eliminated 30% of UK farmland bird populations since 1970
Pesticide application kills millions of non-target invertebrates and vertebrates annually
Agroecological farming with habitat margins supports 40-60% more wildlife than conventional monoculture
Diverse cropping systems reduce pest pressure and pesticide need through ecological function

Welfare Considerations

Crop production welfare harm is often cited by opponents of plant-based diets but is a reason to advocate for better crop agriculture rather than a justification for more intensive animal farming. The welfare harm per calorie in crop production is substantially lower than in animal production. Agroecological methods — hedgerow maintenance, beetle banks, reduced tillage, diverse rotations — can reduce crop production wildlife mortality while maintaining yields.

What You Can Do

Support agroecological and regenerative farming practices that maintain wildlife habitat alongside food production
Advocate for agricultural policy that funds farmland bird and mammal conservation programs
Choose organic and agroecological food products that support less intensive crop production
Engage with the genuine complexity of crop production welfare rather than using it as an argument against plant-based diets