Nearly all farmed animals raised for food in the U.S. are kept on factory farms—intensive operations that harm not only the animals confined within them but also thousands of species of wildlife.
Factory farming is destroying forests, polluting our air and water, using vast amounts of land, and driving climate change.
In honor of World Wildlife Day, here are some of the biggest ways animal agriculture threatens wildlife—and what you can do about it.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture program called Wildlife Services targets wild predators perceived to be a threat to farmed animals including wolves, bears, coyotes, foxes, birds, and other animals, largely to protect the interests of animal agriculture. In 2023, Wildlife Services killed over 375,000 native animals—and the indiscriminate use of poison in some cases has led to the deaths of animals not even targeted by the program.
Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation globally as forests are cleared for crops and grazing, but within that sector, beef production is the biggest culprit. Cattle farming alone accounts for 41 percent of tropical deforestation. Soy products are often blamed, but the fact is that 77 percent of the world’s soybeans are not used for direct human consumption—but fed to animals raised for food!
It is estimated that 25 percent of all marine life depends on coral reefs—and over 40 percent of coral species are now at risk of extinction. Climate change, in which animal agriculture plays a massive role, is largely to blame, along with other food system-related threats including agricultural runoff and overfishing.
In 2021, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) referred to the global food system as “the primary driver of biodiversity loss,” releasing a report that named agriculture as the threat to 86 percent of species facing extinction. The UNEP urged a shift toward “more plant-heavy diets.”
More than ever, fish and other aquatic species are being intensively farmed around the world, with disastrous impacts on animals and our planet. Due to filthy and overcrowded conditions or fish escaping, the massive amount of waste, parasites, and pathogens present on sea-based fish farms can end up in the open waters around them, jeopardizing populations of wild marine life.
The good news is that you can fight back by choosing a plant-based diet.
Animal agriculture has devastating consequences for our planet and the animals who share it with us. By eating compassionately and sustainably, you are helping to protect not only farmed animals—but all life on earth.
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Are you exploring a sustainable plant-based diet? Our delicious and creamy zero-waste broccoli soup is the perfect easy dish to help you get started.
