You guys know plants know when they are in danger right? Why do you think most wild plants are so bitter and poisonous compared to their domesticated varieties that we eat? It is a self-defense mechanism to avoid being eaten by predators.

The only reason we were able to domesticate say almonds is by occasionally having few wild trees with a mutation that prevented that tree from creating cyanide. We humans artificially selected that to satisfy our needs.

For normal fruits, plants actually want us to eat them because then we will disperse the seeds and allow it to reproduce. But in almonds, the tree literally doesn’t want us to eat it because you are eating the seed itself and not the fruit. You are basically killing the offspring

Basically, the almond example applies to all crops in which we consume the seed and not the fruit such as wheats and beans. The seeds were all poisonous or at least bitter before we took advantage of mutations.

So for vegans, what difference does it make between eating seed crops and between eating basic small animals that doesn’t have a complex nervous system and cannot feel pain??

Both of them are living things made out of cells. Both of them respire. Both of them feel the danger or threat someway or another and has self defense mechanims. Both of them can’t feel pain.

I believe that it is really difficult to draw a line separating what you think is ethical and what is not. I’m not a vegan, but according to your ethical standards, you guys should not eat any plants in which you consume the seeds including the most basic crops (wheat and rice)