Reader TTS

One of the most pressing issues of our time is the wild meat trade. Why? Because it’s consumed by _millions and puts billions_ at risk from emerging diseases. It provides food and income for

some of the poorest and most remote communities in Africa and Asia, yet over-exploitation makes ecosystems unstable and threatens the destruction of endangered species. In Africa, wild meat

hunting is driven mostly by protein and meat scarcity (“the poor man’s meat”). In some regions, like east and south-east Asia, it can be found in restaurants, offered as high-priced exotic

delicacies (“the rich man’s status”). But consuming wild meat also poses great dangers and challenges. The global wild meat trade can drive biodiversity loss, fuel illegal markets and spread

diseases. The wildlife trade and so-called wet markets, where wild animals and wild meat are often sold, are conducive to the emergence of diseases, such as Ebola and HIV, which can be

transmitted from animals to people. These issues are the focus of a recently released _landmark study_. It takes a new approach to analysing wild animal exploitation: it focuses on

consumption and consumers rather than wild animals or hunting communities. Most previous studies on wild meat have been by people who want to stop it, with a handful on its livelihood and

nutrition benefits to poor people. Our study, with its focus on consumption, allows us to balance conservation, community development, animal welfare and plague prevention. We are

specialists in livestock and sustainable development and authors of the report. We worked for over a year to analyse and synthesise wild meat trade with a focus on hotspots in Africa and

Asia. We argue that, because the wild meat trade is here for the foreseeable future, policymakers and implementers should be looking at: better management of the global wild meat trade,

reducing and managing the farming of wild animals and providing alternatives to consumption of wild meat by poor people. We must find a way to balance the benefits and risks of wild meat

consumption in a way that protects human health, wildlife welfare and our environment.