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. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Resource Economics, Volume 14 is October 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.