COVID-19 and what it means for wild meat

Hunters Zorro Ndeli (brown shirt) and Tamanga Ekwayoli (white vest) in the Tumba – Ledima Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo by Ollivier Girard/CIFOR

The spread of diseases from animals to humans—called zoonoses—is a public health issue as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. As efforts to curb pandemic accelerate, many conservationists are welcoming China’s move to outlaw hunting and consumption of wild animals. Yet, the ban may put millions of forest dwellers at risk from food insecurity, as Indigenous or rural communities often consume wild meat as their main source of protein.

Tune in for highlights from our previous webinar led by CIFOR Director General, Robert Nasi, with CIFOR Associate Nathalie van Vliet, CIFOR Senior Associate John E. Fa and CIFOR Research Consultant Lauren Coad. The discussion covers timely issues around wild meat in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

• What is wild meat and what is its connection to conservation of wildlife
• The connection between the consumption of wildlife and emergence of infectious and zoonotic diseases.
• The likely impacts of a global ban on wildlife trade on human health, biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods.

The webinar was organized with the support of the TRADE HUB, Sustainable Wildlife Management, FTA projects and the Bushmeat Research Initiative of CIFOR.