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Annual Review of Resource Economics

Volume 14, 2022

The Economics of Wildlife Trade and Consumption

Abstract

The global wildlife trade dates to antiquity. Recently, its harms to endangered species, animal welfare, and public health have become critical to address. The complexities of the wildlife trade are numerous, including the fact that much of the economic activity is illegal and unobserved. We find that wildlife products are used for sustenance, signaling status, medicine, and entertainment. There is vast heterogeneity in products and species traded. Supply chains extend from biodiverse, low-income regions to richer countries or urban centers. Empirically, we use data findings from the literature to rank countries in terms of intensity of the wildlife trade and identify factors that contribute to wildlife trade. We also identify supply-side and demand-side interventions that can control abuse in wildlife trade. Innovative techniques for observation, econometric analysis, and enforcement are sorely needed to support effective policies to preserve the world's wildlife.

Keyword(s): animal welfare, government policy, JEL D61, JEL O13, JEL O17, JEL Q2, JEL Q31, JEL Q58, public health, shadow economies, supply chains, wildlife
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2022-10-05
2024-05-06
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The Economics of Wildlife Trade and Consumption
Annual Review of Resource Economics 14, 355 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-111920-010503
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-resource-111920-010503
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-resource-111920-010503
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