Bushmeat: Culture, Economy and Conservation in Central Africa

In Central Africa, eating wildlife is a normal and desirable practice, providing income and nutrition for millions. However, unsustainable hunting practices are decimating animal populations, impacting biodiversity, local economies, and public health. Bushmeat explores the spread of wild meat consumption from rural areas to major cities, fueled by urbanization, poor regulations, and developing trade networks. It highlights the challenges of wildlife conservation and the risk of rural food insecurity and new infectious diseases.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 23 March 2023
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

In many regions of Central Africa, consuming wildlife is widely regarded as a customary, desirable, and pragmatic practice. Nearly all wild animals, ranging from the largest mammals to the smallest invertebrates, are hunted, traded, and consumed, providing essential income and nourishment for millions of people. However, as the demand for bushmeat continues to surge, animal populations are experiencing significant decline, directly affecting biodiversity, local economies, and public health.

To address this complex issue, Bushmeat adopts an interdisciplinary approach, delving into a range of topics such as deforestation, conservation strategies, infectious diseases, urban street food, and law enforcement. It sheds light on how the popularity of wild meat consumption has expanded from rural areas into major cities, driven by rapid urbanization, ambiguous regulations, and evolving trade networks, whether small-scale and informal or commercial and politically connected. While unsustainable hunting practices pose clear challenges for wildlife conservation, they also heighten the risk of rural food insecurity and the emergence of new infectious diseases, as exemplified by the recent outbreaks of HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19.

However, the cultural attachment to wild meat and its dietary significance for many communities make resolving the "bushmeat crisis" a formidable task. Extensive interviews and a comprehensive review of secondary literature form the foundation of Bushmeat, presenting a startling account of one of the Anthropocenes catastrophes in the making.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787388147