“Birds play vital roles in ecosystems and for people, serving as pollinators, seed dispersers, pest controllers, scavengers, and ecosystem engineers,” states the IUCN. The update to its Red List of Threatened Species was announced at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, where a resolution has also declared wildlife critical in protecting the planet from climate change.

Birds and the natural environments they rely on are being put at risk by factory farming. The IUCN warns: “The most prevalent cause of bird population declines is habitat loss and degradation, driven especially by agricultural expansion and intensification and logging—the foremost threats to birds at risk of extinction.”

• Agriculture is the largest cause of deforestation, especially animal agriculture, as forests are cleared for grazing and land to grow feed crops. Cattle farming alone accounts for 41% of tropical deforestation.
• In 2021, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) called for a global shift to “more plant-heavy diets” to address the “disproportionate impact of animal agriculture on biodiversity, land use, and the environment.”
• Soy is often blamed for deforestation, but this, too, mainly leads back to animal agriculture. Just 7% of soy ends up in products consumed by humans, while 77% is fed to farmed animals.
• Marine ecosystems are also at risk. Farm runoff, including animal waste and high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, can end up in our waterways and even lead to ocean “dead zones” where life can not survive.

These impacts are in addition to factory farming’s many other environmental harms, including greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, and more.

Birds are facing some of the most rapid and alarming declines, but they are not the only species jeopardized by animal agriculture.

In 2021, the UNEP named agriculture the threat to 86% of species “at risk of extinction.” That’s 24,000 species on the line, and yet, factory farming continues to drive habitat loss, pollution, disease, and climate change—not a future problem, but a current environmental crisis with impacts affecting life on earth right now.

For example, the new IUCN report warns that Arctic seals are being pushed to the brink by our warming oceans. Their hope for survival is dwindling with the sea ice they need.

Yet, there is hope in action. Each day, each moment, is a chance to make a difference. 

“While species like Arctic seals and many birds face growing threats, the recovery of the green turtle reminds us that conservation works when we act with determination and unity,” said IUCN Director General, Dr Grethel Aguilar. 

Agriculture has already been identified as the main threat to declining birds and thousands of other species, and if we have this knowledge, we know our food system is where action is needed.

World governments and leaders must make systemic change. We need plant-based food systems rooted in sustainability and compassion for animals, people, and the planet, and Farm Sanctuary will continue to advocate for meaningful progress. 

Meanwhile, we can do our part individually, too. Each time you eat, you can choose kinder and more sustainable plant-based foods—for farm animals, wildlife, our health—for you and the planet you call home. 

We can help you get started.