Cindy Wanjiku - Terra's Liege

Is Your Favourite Brand Really ‘Going Green’?

January 24, 2022 Cindy Wanjiku 15 Comments

‘Going green’ sells, more and more people are willing to spend more on a product or service if it comes from a sustainable company, which ideally should be a plus for the environment. However, this has taken a turn for the worst and has led to the perpetuation of greenwashing among companies and corporations.

WHAT IS GREENWASHING?

Greenwashing occurs when an organization or company devotes their time and resources to marketing their products and services as environmentally friendly when they are not, instead of actually implementing environmentally friendly practices.

Globally, more people are becoming environmentally conscious, therefore they lean towards purchasing goods and services that are green. This is coercing companies and manufacturers to shift towards eco-friendly products to attract these consumers. However, some companies’ description of their products’ sustainable qualities may be irrelevant, exaggerated, or false.

For example, some companies still continue to label products as chlorofluorocarbons-free (CFC-free) yet CFCs were banned and are no longer in use. This information while true, is irrelevant to the product. It is only included to make consumers believe that the company is environmentally conscious.

Greenwashing may sound harmless, but it can be potentially dangerous. Consumers are misled into purchasing products that are described as eco-friendly but, the company has not taken any steps to abide by environmental standards leading to further pollution, emissions, and unsustainable utilization of resources. It exploits genuine environmental concerns thus creating confusion and scepticism towards genuine eco-friendly products.

In addition, companies may focus on the positive environmental aspects of their business and leave out the negatives. These companies are aware of the negative impact their business have on the environment and choose to focus on the positive impact they have made or intend to make. Companies in the petroleum industry have been known to do this in their advertisements. The companies may mislead consumers into believing that if they pay extra for their fuel, they will be contributing to the protection of forests from logging yet there is no guarantee that it will be done.

When companies resort to greenwashing, they use buzzwords that tend to be vague to appeal to the consumer. These companies use words such as sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and eco- or environmentally friendly. It is important that one takes special attention to identify these instances of greenwashing.

Vague statements used in greenwashed products (Photo by CulinaryLore)

WAYS TO SPOT GREENWASHING

You should do your part by calling out greenwashing when you spot it and spend your money on brands that are legitimate. One can identify greenwashing through:

Images that give an impression of nature or marketing products in a visually pleasing package i.e., leaves, rivers, mountains.
Emphasis on one green feature of a product and omitting the negative features.
Greening of a dangerous product to make it appear safe or clean or claiming it has environmental benefits when it doesn’t.
Sharing unsupported claims with zero evidence to support that a product is clean or organic.
Jargon or information that cannot be easily understood by the average person; only scientists can understand.
Stating that they are greener than other companies. This should be substantiated with evidence.
Falsifying certifications or labels to mislead consumers. One should seek out products with trusted certifications.
Be on the lookout for marketing language that doesn’t overstate or imply a more significant environmental benefit than it could be. Marketing should be clear on whether they are referring to the packaging, the product itself or a part of it.

GREEN MARKETING

Companies should employ green marketing if they are genuinely ‘going green’. Green marketing is the marketing or advertising of products that are legitimately produced through environmentally friendly practices. The products and services are produced in a transparent and honest way by following the guidelines listed below:

Should be free of toxic and ozone depleting substances,
Should be easily repaired or reused,
Should not use excessive (non-biodegradable) packaging,
Should be made from renewable and biodegradable material,
Should be manufactured in a sustainable fashion,
Should be recycled or produced from recycled material and,
The company should offer an end-of-life program for its products.

If a company markets themselves as green, it should have the appropriate documentation and certification to prove this. Furthermore, it is easy for green marketing to turn to greenwashing if the organization does not stick to the environmental standards, they have set for themselves.

I believe we should take it upon ourselves to do the necessary research to find out if the green products we buy are genuinely environmentally friendly and go a step further by calling out any false claims made by companies.

Food

Veganism As A Way To Save The Planet

November 14, 2021 Cindy Wanjiku 14 Comments

Recent trends show that an increasing number of people are moving towards plant-based diets. There are even more vegan or vegetarian options in restaurants and supermarkets. Researchers claim that veganism is a healthier option and has limited impacts on the environment. In this article we shall explore these claims.

What is Veganism?

Veganism is a lifestyle that subscribes to refraining from consuming animal products or purchasing any products that were derived from animals. A vegan or plant-based diet excludes all animal products including eggs, dairy, and meat; some also choose to avoid honey.

People tend to interchange veganism and vegetarianism. The two terms are similar; however, vegetarians do not eat meat but consume dairy products, eggs, or both.

When done in the right manner a vegan diet can be highly nutritious especially since they tend to be rich in nutrients and low in saturated fats. Vegan diets mainly consist of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds thus eliminating any sources of harmful animal fats. However, people on a plant based diet need to be aware of how to obtain certain nutrients such as iron, calcium and vitamin B-12 that are readily available in an omnivorous diet. Vitamin B12 helps prevent nerve damage and is found mainly in meat, fish, eggs and dairy but not in fruit or vegetables.

The veganism lifestyle has become very popular in the recent past and many have adopted it due to health, environmental concerns, and animal welfare. Some advocate for a vegan diet due to its limited environmental impacts and adopt it as a sustainable diet, which has low environmental impacts, is healthy and contributes to food security for future generations.

Health Benefits

Research shows that vegan diets have health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and premature death. In addition to this, plant food contains no cholesterol unlike meat, eggs and dairy products which contain large amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats which is a major trigger for many health issues. Contrastingly, the high fiber content in a vegan diet helps wash away any cholesterol in the digestive tract.

Animal products contain harmful contaminants including bacteria, arsenic, dioxins, and mercury that can affect our health. Fish tissue has also been found to harbor levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) thousands of times higher than in the water in which they live often because of biomagnification.

The overuse of antibiotics on factory farms has caused many of the bacteria found on animal flesh to become antibiotic resistant. Many opt for veganism to avoid side effects linked to antibiotics and hormones used in animal agriculture.

Animal Cruelty

Ethical vegans believe that all creatures have the right to life and freedom and are against ending a life simply to consume its flesh, or wear its skin. They are opposed to the physical or psychological stress animals endure during modern farming practices. Furthermore, vegans deplore the crammed pens, filthy battery cages and restrictive enclosures that animals live in and the fact that the animals hardly ever leave between birth and slaughter.

To this regard, ethical vegans demonstrate their opposition by protesting, raising awareness, and choosing products that don’t involve animal agriculture.

In terms of the treatment of animals, farm animals experience a lot of cruelty. They are mutilated mercilessly, their necks and throats hacked and slit open or are submerged in scalding hot water when still conscious. Moreover, calves are killed for veal and cows are put in a continuous loop of pregnancy, birthing and milking.

The main objective of factory farms is to maximize output while minimizing costs always at the animals’ expense. This leads to animals being squeezed into tiny spaces and being exposed to diseases and infections.

Environmental Concerns

People may choose to avoid animal products because of the environmental impact of animal agriculture. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), livestock account for 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. This accounts for approximately 7.1 gigatonnes of CO₂-eq every year with beef and cattle milk production accounting for 41 and 20 percent of these emissions respectively. Pig and poultry farming account for 9 and 8 percent respectively. The three main GHGs emitted by this sector are nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide.

Secondly, deforestation is a growing concern in the spread of animal agriculture. Forests are cut down or burned to create space for livestock and their feeds as seen in the Amazon forest. Consequently, numerous animal habitats are being threatened due to this.

Lastly, large amounts of water are used for the consumption of livestock and the watering of the feeds. For example, in milk production, it is estimated that a cow would need 150 litres of water per day. Therefore, animal agriculture has a large footprint in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water, and land use.

It should also be noted that the global production of avocados, a vegan favourite, required a water estimate of 2.82 million Olympic size swimming pools (each containing 2.5 million litres of water) in 2018. Although these statistics account for worldwide avocado consumption, veganism may not be without its own faults.

Conclusion

It is evident that the consumption of meat, eggs and dairy contribute to environmental degradation. Currently, people consume way too much meat and dairy. My take on this is one does not need to follow a strict plant-based diet to reduce their footprint. However, I would advice that we reduce our meat intake significantly. Perhaps do Meatless Mondays, scale down on the number of times you eat meat a week or substitute meat and dairy products with vegan alternatives. I strongly believe that if we all reduced our meat intake it could have a positive impact on the environment.

What’s your take on veganism? Would you become one on the account of the environment?

Let us know in the comment section.

To Our Esteemed Readers: We would like to open the floor to all of you, kindly comment below what topic you would like us to write about in the next blog.

Can’t wait to hear your ideas 🙂

Biodiversity

Human-fueled Threats to Marine Life

September 23, 2021 Cindy Wanjiku 5 Comments

70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean and is home to 700,000-1,000,000 species, including my personal favorites, dolphins and orcas. It offers a wide array of habitats for marine creatures ranging from sea grass, mangroves, coral reefs and the water column. Unfortunately, our beautiful oceans are used as a dump site with 80% of pollution that ends up in the ocean coming from land-based activities. Effluent from factories and industries are major sources of pollution in rivers, a main conduit of pollution that winds up in oceans.

Pollution and other human activities are posing a serious threat to the state of the ocean and its corresponding marine life. Here are the major threats:

Climate Change

Climate change is inarguably the worst threat to marine life. Global warming is causing changes to the ocean chemistry and this in turn will affect marine species that depend on the stability of the ocean. One of these changes includes warming of the ocean water which reduces the ability of oxygen to dissolve into the sea water leading to diminished oxygen levels in the ocean for marine life. In addition, coral reefs are sensitive to warming oceans; the warm temperatures lead to coral bleaching and eventually death.

Coral bleaching occurs when colourful, microscopic algae called zooxanthellae is expelled by corals due to warming waters. The zooxanthellae live in the coral and the two have a mutually beneficial relationship; they depend on each other for survival. Once the algae are expelled the coral fades (turns white) and appears to be bleached. Without the algae the coral will eventually die. The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest reef is almost halfway bleached.

Secondly, ocean acidification caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolving in the ocean leads to the eroding of shells of animals such as lobster, oysters, and shrimp.

Thirdly, climate change is also causing rising sea level which affects the habitat of many marine species.

Over-fishing

Fishing is not inherently bad; it only becomes an issue when we catch more fish than can be replenished naturally. This leads to overfishing. 31% of fish stocks are already depleted (overfished) according to FAO.

The main fishing gear used for commercial fishing is drift netting and trawling which has contributed to another problem, by-catch. By-catch is the unintentional catching of sea creatures when fishing for a different species (fish and shellfish). Examples of marine animals that get entangled in the gear are whales, dolphins, turtles, seals, sharks, and seabirds. In fact, a significant number of marine creatures are killed unintentionally by commercial fisheries.

Plastic waste

There are more than five trillion pieces of plastic swimming in our oceans. All the plastic bottles, straws, bags, and packaging material we have ever used wind up in oceans. It is estimated that 8 million tonnes of plastic are discarded into our oceans each year. The danger of all this plastic in our oceans is that it can result in choking and entangling of sea creatures. In addition, the plastic breaks down into micro-plastics that sea creatures mistake for food. This is bad because large amounts of plastic are found in the bellies of whales, and tiny fish feed on micro-plastics which can lead to biomagnification. Biomagnification is a condition in which compounds (pollutant) accumulate in the tissue of an organism as it travels through the food chain.

Agriculture and Sewage discharge

When nutrients are discharged into oceans in excessive amounts as sewage, fertilizers, or nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels, this can lead to eutrophication. Eutrophication is the excessive growth of marine plants such as algae which causes an algal bloom. This limits the sunlight that will penetrate into the water and reduces the availability of oxygen. When oxygen levels plummet it affects marine creatures, coral reefs and other vital habitats. Sewage tends to be the main source of nutrients in cities and agriculture dominates in rural areas.

Coastal development

Coastal development is change caused by human activities on an area of land adjacent to the coastline. It leads to the destruction of natural land and the fragmentation of coastal habitats. This development includes building structures that are on or near the coast either for protection, business, residential, communication or recreation. Impacts resulting from development are dredging and coral/sand mining for construction material or increased runoff of sediment and pollutants. Currently, 2.4 billion people live within 100km of the coast, putting undue pressure on coastal ecosystems.

Ocean noise

Ocean noise is sound generated by human activity that can obscure marine animals from detecting natural sounds in the ocean. Sources of ocean noise are ships, military sonar and seismic exploration for oil and gas. This is harmful to marine animals such as whales and dolphins because it can interfere with their communication channels. The noise can also prevent other animals from meeting a mate, detecting predators, and finding food.

Deep-sea mining

Deep-sea mining is a potential threat to marine animals. It is the process of retrieving mineral deposits from the deep sea. The depletion of terrestrial deposits of minerals is stimulating interest in deep sea mining. However, they are still in the exploration stage of deep sea mining to assess the size of mineral deposits.

Solutions

The establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)–to protect and conserve ecologically and biologically significant marine areas by regulating human activities.

On the same note Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) should be established. These are marine conservation areas managed by the local coastal community. In fact when MPAs and LMMAs are merged, it can increase the conservation effort and enhance interconnectivity between the two which will result in a widespread and better managed conservation area.

Banning of destructive fishing methods such as trawling.

Regulations on overfishing and animals caught as by-catch should be followed and hefty penalties put in place to any organizations that do not adhere to them.

Use eco-friendly and reusable products and avoid single use plastic such as plastic straws, bottles and bags.

Support local marine conservation organizations i.e Local Ocean Trust – Watamu

Conclusion

Clearly, the state of our oceans is critical and a lot needs to be done to conserve them.

Food

The Truth About Food Waste

August 10, 2021 Cindy Wanjiku 22 Comments

Presently, we have become such a wasteful generation. When it comes to water, fashion and even food. The worst part about wasting food is that more than 820 million people have no access to sufficient food. Let us take a look at the extent of food waste in the world.

Food waste is the amount of food that is discarded or thrown out at consumer or retail level. Basically, when people throw out food they don’t want to eat or leave it to spoil.

On the other hand, food loss is the amount of food lost during the harvesting and pre-processing stages. In Africa, food is lost due to lack of proper infrastructure in the harvesting, processing, and storage stages, due to financial, managerial, or technical constraints.

About one third of food produced globally is lost or wasted every year. This equates to roughly 1.4B tones of food. In high income countries the estimated worth of their food waste is USD 680B and 310B in developing countries. In medium and high-income countries, food is wasted in later stages in contrast to developing countries where there is reduced wastage due to low purchasing power and supply.

In developed countries, more than 40% of food waste occurs at retail and consumer levels and is heavily determined by consumer behaviour. Great quantities are lost due to the cosmetic appearance of food. Contrastingly, 40% of food losses in developing countries occur at post-harvest and processing levels as mentioned above. The most wasted food type in the world is fruits and vegetables. According to the UN, about half of all fruits and vegetables produced are wasted.

Effects of food waste

Food loss and waste result in the misuse of resources. These include water, seeds, feeds, land, energy, and labour. It is estimated that half the water used to produce this food is wasted. It also leads to the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change. According to FAO, 8% of greenhouse gas emissions is from food waste. Discarded food is taken to landfills where it rots and produces methane gas that is a major greenhouse gas.

What countries can do

Ironically, 690 million people around the world are undernourished while so much of the global food supply is lost. It is projected that food waste will continue to rise in coming years if nothing is done about it. The limited transparency about the extent of food loss and waste in the food chain coupled with the lack of awareness among food providers and consumers is further exacerbating the issue. Coordination between producers and processors would greatly reduce food loss and waste.

Finding a beneficial use for food that is thrown away is a useful measure to decrease the amount of loss and waste – recycling food. In addition, manufacturing industries could repurpose and recycle unmarketable crops, by products or waste into other products such as biofuels or animal feeds.

Cold chain is a great technology that can reduce food waste. It involves a series of refrigerated production, transport and distribution activities. This could work to prolong and extend the shelf life of food. However, it is not easily available in emerging economies.

Farmers should be trained on how to protect crops from pests, diseases and weeds. This could reduce loss during harvest.

Retailers should sell imperfect fruits and vegetables at discounted prices.

What you can do

Buy what you need: avoid impulse buying or steering off your grocery list
Use old products before opening new ones.
Buy imperfect fruits – oddly shaped or bruised produce are often thrown away because they do not meet cosmetic standards. Old fruits and vegetables can be used in desserts, smoothies and juices.
Store food well: put older products at the front of the fridge or store and newer ones at the back to prevent food spoilage. Garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions should never be placed in the fridge but at room temperature. Foods that produce ethylene gas should be separated from the others that do not. Ethylene gas promotes ripening in foods. Examples of foods that produce it are tomatoes, bananas, avocados, pears, and green onions.
Understand food labeling. Understanding the difference between ‘best before’, ‘use by’ and ‘sell by’ can help prevent a lot of food waste. In some cases food may still be safe to eat past the ‘best before’ date but the ‘use by’ date indicates that it is not safe to eat. ‘Sell by’ is supposed to inform retailers when the product should be sold or removed from shelves.
Avoid throwing away food. Take leftovers and turn it into compost. This will create nutrient rich manure for your garden and prevent organic waste from ending up in landfills.
Support local farmers, markets, and small businesses in your community. This can help fight pollution from long distance deliveries.
Eat the skin of fruits, vegetables and chicken. There are a lot of nutrients in the outer layer of potatoes, chicken skin, carrots, mangoes, and cucumber therefore avoid binning them.
Practice portion control when preparing dishes and serving. Only serve the amount of food that you can finish to avoid wasted food on the plate.
Donate food to local charities and people in need.

For many, food waste has become a major problem by buying more than we need and letting food go to waste. The importance of reducing food loss and waste is that it can increase incomes and improve access to food for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in high-risk regions. By eliminating the food loss and waste problem, we can also curb its growing carbon footprint.

Sustainable Living

7 eco-friendly landscaping ideas for your yard!

June 17, 2021 Cindy Wanjiku 8 Comments

Landscaping is the process of making your garden or yard more attractive by planting trees, flowering plants and shrubs in an appealing manner. This is an ideal way to beautify your lawn and have a nice part of your house that you can enjoy spending time. Especially, if you are like me, and love to spend time outdoors reading a good book.

A well-maintained landscape is not only pleasing to the eye but is also advantageous to the surrounding environment. The benefits include water filtration, prevention of erosion and reducing dust. Plants and trees also provide shade, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Landscaping tends to be expensive and harmful to the environment; but here are a few ways you can ensure your lawn is cultivated in an eco-friendly way.

1. Native plants

When selecting plants and trees to grow in your yard one should consider native plants. Native plants are a good choice for two reasons 1) they are acclimatized to local climates and rainfall patterns and 2) they are beneficial to local wildlife such as pollinators. They require minimal maintenance because they are naturally resistant to local pests and diseases and seldom need the application of fertilizer and pesticides. An example of a native tree to Kenya is the Meru oak.

2. Habitat for wildlife

Make sure to include flowering plants, vegetables and herbs to your garden. Flowering plants provide pollen and nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects. By planting plants of various species, you can create a mini refuge for pollinators, birds and small animals.

3. Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is a form of landscaping that reduces the need for watering(irrigation). Succulents or drought resistant grass are the most suited for practicing xeriscaping because they tend to be resistant to drought and have water storage adaptability. You do not necessarily have to live in a drought prone area to do this but it is an ideal way to reduce water and overall lower water bills.

Examples of drought resistant grass include Kikuyu grass, Buffalo grass and Bermuda grass. And succulents – Aloe Vera plants and Echeveria elegans.

Plants with similar water requirements should be placed in one part of the garden for efficient irrigation. This will also reduce over watering of plants that do not need extra water.

4. Water harvesting

Harvesting rain water is a great way to collect and conserve water for future use. This water can be used for watering gardens and lawns. The rain water can be collected using barrels or by setting up a system of pipes that connect the gutters to a water tank (water harvesting system). Using rainwater for irrigation will reduce the need for household water hence there will be a saving on water bills.

5. Minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides

Before turning to synthetic fertilizers, consider using organic manure or compost in your garden. Compost and manure contain all the nutrients your plants require and will not lead to soil and water pollution like chemical fertilizers.

Similarly, opt for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) instead of chemical pesticides. IPM involves attracting or introducing beneficial insects into your garden that will feed on pests without causing damage to the plants. The most commonly used insects are ladybirds, praying mantises and spiders. Just like chemical fertilizers, pesticides pollute soil, water and air so it’s best to limit their use.

6. Composting

Composting reduces the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills and converts it into a natural and free fertilizer for your garden. It is easy to make at home provided you have soil, a compost bin and warm area. Fruits, vegetables, eggshells and newspapers are examples of organic waste that can be used to make nutrient rich compost.

7. Alternatives to natural grass

Natural grass can be very difficult to grow and maintain; but this can be remedied by finding other alternatives of natural grass such as synthetic grass, hard-scaping and ground cover.

Synthetic grass requires zero maintenance and is safe for kids and pets, and it can keep its appearance for a long time.

Hard-scaping involves cutting back on the size of the lawn to set up either a pathway or gazebo. A gazebo would be a lovely place to entertain guests or have lunch.

Ground cover is usually over-looked in gardening but can be useful to your lawn. Instead of planting grass throughout the lawn you could try planting ground cover (moss, thyme and clovers) in one section. The benefits of groundcover are prevention of erosion and weed establishment.

So here are a few sustainable landscaping tips to incorporate to your lawn. Have you tried any of these tips before? Let me know in the comment section below.

Sources

https://www.loveyourlandscape.org/expert-advice/eco-friendly-landscaping/designing-your-landscape-for-wildlife/10-ideas-for-a-sustainable-landscape/

https://www.livingnaturaltoday.com/top-10-eco-friendly-landscaping-ideas/

Biodiversity

African wildlife is in serious trouble!

May 12, 2021 Cindy Wanjiku 17 Comments

It’s no secret that Africa is a beautiful continent; teeming with wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. Africa harbors a diverse array of animals that cut across the animal kingdom including my personal favorites elephants and cheetahs. However, many species are at the brink of extinction and the main threat lies in human activities.

In this article, I will look at the threats facing African wildlife.

Habitat loss

Habitat loss is the greatest threat to wildlife. It affects the genetic diversity, species abundance, richness and distribution of the animals. Africa’s population is booming with an expected population of over 1.8 Billion by 2035. The surge is pushing people into animal territory in search of space and resources. Forests, savannas, swamps and other habitats are being cleared for agriculture, natural resource exploration and industrial developments. In addition, about 70% of the sub-Saharan Africa population rely on wood for fuel this is also accelerating deforestation. As a result of these human activities, large ecosystems are being broken down into fragments. Fragmented habitats are too small to support wildlife making it difficult for the animals to find food and breed which in turn has increased competition between different species. Fragmentation also disrupts vital wildlife migration corridors that are essential for keystone animals like elephants.

Evidently, the African wild dog population has plummeted to about 5000 individuals and is now the second most endangered carnivore after the Ethiopian wolf and one of the main reasons is habitat loss.

Poaching and hunting for animal parts

Illegal wildlife trafficking is said to be the 4^th most lucrative illicit commerce globally. Poaching is an environmental crime that targets – more often than not – endangered or vulnerable species for animal parts. Animals at risk of poaching are elephants for ivory, rhinos for their horn, pangolins for their scales and lions for their bones. It is worth noting pangolin scales and rhino horn are both made of keratin; the material that makes up hair and nails.

Not all wildlife trade is illegal, certain wild plants and animals are sold as food, pets, medicine and ornamentals. However, wildlife trade becomes a crisis when it is done unsustainably. As seen in Vietnam, a recent myth states that rhino horn can cure cancer which has led to intense poaching in South Africa.

Sadly, poaching is difficult to contain because the poachers, often local people, are the ones apprehended whereas kingpins are left at large with the potential to strike again.

Subsistence and Commercial hunting

In addition to poaching, many hunters target wild animals for consumption (bush meat) either for subsistence or commercial purposes. Animals hunted as bush meat include primates, antelopes, snakes, monitor lizards and porcupines. The danger of consuming bush meat is the spread of zoonotic diseases among people. COVID-19, SARS and Ebola are examples of zoonotic diseases that are linked to the consumption of wild animals.

The bush meat trade is common in West and Central Africa for it is either legal or partly legal. Locals will turn to bush meat to supplement their diet when there is a decline in fish supply.

Due to the preservation of natural habitats, communities living close to National Parks are often economically handicapped due to lack of infrastructure and low employment opportunities. These situations push them to hunt as a means to fend for their families. Moreover, in Zambia, people living in urban areas consume bush meat in order to stay connected to their culture thus driving up demand for bush meat.

Despite its perceived threat to wildlife there are limited funds going into the research of the bush meat trade, therefore, it is difficult to assess the scale and impact on wildlife populations.

Human-wildlife conflict

Human-wildlife conflict occurs when human and wildlife needs and behaviour negatively impact on each other. Conflicts occur when wildlife damage crops, threaten, kill or injure people and domestic animals. The major causes of human-wildlife conflicts are agricultural expansion, human settlement, livestock overgrazing, and deforestation. These often lead to reduction in available natural resources hence the animals seek alternative sources of prey or food. Mitigation methods for these conflicts may lead to the loss of wildlife due to the use of traps or live fencing that may injure or kill the wild animals.

Trophy hunting

Trophy hunting refers to hunting of animals not for food or sustenance but for their body parts. In trophy hunting, animals are hunted, killed and their heads and hide put on display as trophies in the homes of hunters. It is estimated that more than 125,000 animals are killed each year in trophy hunting. The most coveted animals to hunt are the Big 5 which are some of the most endangered animals.

Trophy hunting occurs in 13 countries across Africa – South Africa, Tanzania and Namibia – to name a few. Fortunately, Kenya has had a national ban on trophy hunting since 1977.

Captive bred hunting is a grotesque form of trophy hunting. It involves breeding animals, mainly lions, specifically to be shot and stuffed. The animals are usually accustomed to humans so this gives the hunter an unfair advantage. This form of trophy hunting is practiced in South Africa. Nonetheless, it has been reported that South Africa intends to end the captive lion breeding industry. Hopefully this will have a positive impact on conservation.

Although trophy hunts cost tens of thousands, an elephant hunt can cost anywhere from USD$11,000-70,000, there is little evidence to support that the money goes to developing communities or conservation efforts.

Alas, according to research some private land conservation owners argue that trophy hunting is a major source of income and they would not be able to sustain their business on ecotourism alone, if there was a trophy ban. In the event of a ban some would probably have to remove all wildlife from their land and convert it into a livestock farm.

What can be done?

Currently, the future seems bleak for African wildlife, however; there are measures that can be taken to mitigate the situation.

Initiate community outreach programs to educate locals about the danger of bush meat and ways to avoid human wildlife conflict.
Create employment opportunities for local people in conservation as scouts and rangers.
Provide alternatives to fuel wood such as bamboo charcoal.
Do not support the trophy hunting industry or purchase any animal products from endangered wildlife.

Conclusion

African wildlife is in serious trouble and drastic measures need to be taken to conserve it. If not many of these precious animals may become extinct in our lifetime.

Sources

https://www.awf.org/threats

https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/illegal-wildlife-trade

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