Value of wildlife to MDGs

ELDIS has alerted us to a new report from the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Trading nature: a report, with case studies, on the contribution of wildlife trade management to sustainable livelihoods and the Millennium Development Goals. The report makes the point that the worldwide value of wildlife trade has been estimated at USD300 billion, which excludes the domestic trade that takes place as well as the value of wildlife that is harvested for direct consumption. Wildlife provides much of the food and medicinal products that are available to poor communities that live in areas of high biodiversity. It also generates cash income and employment and can represent an important contribution to the GDP, which in turn provides positive gains for local communities. These benefits are central to the attainment of many of the Millennium Development Goals.On the other hand, a huge proportion of wildlife trade is unsustainable and often illegal. This publication addresses how societies can reconcile these contradictions and minimize the risks posed by wildlife trade. You can find the report on the WWF's web site.