Finding Common Ground on Africa’s Bush Meat Market

The bushmeat trade – meat from wild animals – continues to soar, mainly in unregulated and illegal markets worldwide. Ghana is one such market. One reason is that it’s a source of income for poor rural households. It’s also an important source of nutrition. In West and Central Africa, bushmeat contributes about 80%-90% of the animal protein needs in certain rural areas. Previous studies of bushmeat consumption in Ghana have focused narrowly on a few cities. Researchers conducted a study to broaden the scope to urban and rural households in Ghana’s three major ecological zones. They aimed to analyse individual consumer demographies and provide insights on different consumer segments. This could be used for public campaigns to change behaviours or promote domesticated bushmeat for sustainable forestry management. The study revealed some differences in consumption between regions. It also led them to recommend safe meat harvesting strategies for conservationists.SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION