Disentangling economic, cultural and nutritional motives behind West Africa's hidden bushmeat commodity chain

The ongoing commercialisation of bushmeat hunting threatens biodiversity and food security in the global south. The value chain involves distinct actor groups, each with unique histories and socio-economic backgrounds.... [ view full abstract ]

The ongoing commercialisation of bushmeat hunting threatens biodiversity and food security in the global south. The value chain involves distinct actor groups, each with unique histories and socio-economic backgrounds. Understanding the organisation of this complex value chain is essential for designing targeted interventions, but it is commonly inhibited by the secrecy of the trade. We encountered a radically different situation during the West African Ebola crisis in 2015, where trade in bushmeat ceased due to fear of infection, and actors spoke openly about their former involvement. In this unusual situation, we aimed to identify entry points for health and conservation related interventions. We non-randomly selected and interviewed 348 hunters, 202 bushmeat traders and 190 restaurant owners, and randomly selected and interviewed 985 consumers in 47 urban and rural settings around the Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. First, we evaluated structural traits of the value chain by evaluating patterns of source and destination of bushmeat through network analyses. Second, using Generalized Linear Mixed models, we disentangled the economic, cultural and nutritional drivers at the level of production (hunters), distribution (bushmeat traders) and consumption (households). Our analyses revealed that most commercial hunters supplied retailers, mainly restaurants, whereas local consumers independently sourced bushmeat from their fields. Economic drivers, like landlessness, determined hunting, whereas trading was associated with economic and cultural drivers, such as livestock ownership and religion, and consumption patterns were influenced by cultural habits and beliefs, i.e. taste, religion, and environmental awareness. Overall, we propose that consumers, particularly in urban areas, represent the most effective point of entry for interventions, such as information campaigns. Considering the interdependencies within this complex social-ecological system, any such consumer level intervention should, however, be supported by programs providing hunters and traders alternative livelihoods to maintain ecological and socially sustainable change.