Bush meat makes up a big part of the diets of most indigenous communities, it’s part of their culture.
‘Bush meat’ (or ‘Bushmeat’) refers to meat obtained from wild animals and is considered a traditional food source of communities all over the world.
More often than not, conservation organisations (and civilians alike) jump to conclusions. They assume that, given the current state of the world’s wild places, it would be a simple task to stop indigenous communities from hunting rare fauna. They’re wrong, and in a world that is currently going through a pandemic caused by the consumption of bush meat, it is becoming apparent that a more realistic solution is required.
Sadly, bush meat and its trade have become a commercial activity with high demands leading to seriously negative impacts on wild populations (through damaging hunting practices and overhunting).
Here’s where we come in! By combining bush meat farming techniques from the likes of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Fauna and Flora International (FFI), as well as through working with local communities in Eastern Boki, we have begun the process of setting up master farms that will farm greater cane rats, giant African land snails and catfish.
We aim to produce enough bush meat to undermine hunting as a profession, and to promote and encourage the use of sustainable farming and high animal welfare standards. This project additionally aims to offer a guns-for-jobs scheme, whereby hunters will be allowed to hand in their hunting gear in return for jobs on the farms.
Project Team Leader:
Saskia Dahl-Meadows
