Rather than just dismissing plant suffering as inevitable, vegans should try to reduce that as well. The Rhetoric of Plants Vegans clearly need to be more savvy in their justifications for eating plants to avoid simply justifying eating animals. Instead of trying to counter the idea that plants suffer, we should just accept this premise because the best way to reduce both plant and animal suffering is to stop eating meat since animals are fed dead plants. Additionally, meat-eaters typically don't like to acknowledge animals suffering, yet when they raise the plant question they are admitting this since their underlying assumption is that since plants and animals both suffer, there is no unique reason to avoid eating animals. But rather than getting defensive, sarcastic, or belittling the person, we must admit our own shame from harming plants.
True dialog can only occur if both sides accept their shame.
This whole angle was obviously dreamed up by meat industry propagandists. So, if you want to win the debate, laugh in their smug meateating face and make THEM look silly. Digging Deeper Outside the context of a discussion with a meat-eater, there are real implications to the plant question. It points to an inadequacy in the theory of animal rights. Even if we succeed in no longer having a world based on the exploitation of animals, it will still be a world based on the exploitation of plants on a massive scale.