Earthworms are essential to soil health and agriculture, but intensive farming practices cause massive earthworm mortality. Their welfare status and farming implications are gaining scientific attention.
Earthworm welfare is emerging at the intersection of agricultural science and animal ethics. The ecological case for protecting earthworm populations is already strong - they are foundational to agricultural productivity. The welfare case adds another layer: earthworms show nociceptive responses suggesting some capacity for aversive experience. Agricultural practices that kill millions of earthworms annually through tilling, pesticide use, and soil compaction cause harm at a scale that dwarfs most other agricultural welfare issues. The good news is that practices that improve earthworm welfare - reduced tillage, organic farming, cover cropping - also improve soil health and farm profitability.