The scale of direct human impact on invertebrates

Abstract

This comprehensive study explores the magnitude of direct human influence on invertebrates, based on information across industries such as food and feed production, medical services, and agricultural pesticide application. Estimates indicate that humans annually either use or kill at least 29 trillion invertebrates. However, due to limited data on many of these industries, the actual count is suspected to be orders of magnitude higher. For instance, agricultural pesticides alone are considered to cause the death of between 100 trillion to 10 quadrillion insects each year. The study also highlights the gap in focus by animal welfare initiatives that primarily target vertebrate species. The paper emphasizes that this exploration is only an initial step, calling for further detailed investigation to refine estimates, enhance understanding of these industries, and inform more effective animal welfare strategies. – AI-generated abstract.