Personhood means one has agency and volition, and the right to exist for their own sake. Harming an animal person (or plant person) may be crucial to one’s ability to survive, but it can’t possibly be disregarded. Yes, you have to eat. You have to make clothing and build houses. You have to kill plant persons and animal persons to do that. That’s a fact of life. But that doesn’t leave any excuse for indiscriminate killing, or thoughtless destruction.
