[11] Disadvantages of hairy vetch in production agriculture are related to the crop having a portion of hard seed and its tendency to shatter seed early in the season, leading to it remaining in the field as a weed later in the season.

The vetch vegetation provides both nitrogen and an instant mulch that preserves moisture and keeps weeds from sprouting.

[13] Some sources consider it generally invasive in areas with suitable climate for it to out-compete native species, in a manner similar to how cow vetch, Vicia cracca, is regarded.

[14] With both vetches, their agricultural usefulness is typically given precedence over concerns regarding potential ecological degradation.

[15] Despite being native to part of Europe it is considered an alien or invasive species in some European countries, such as Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain.