World’s largest initiative on sustainable wild meat launches a virtual tour

(BONN, Germany, 7 September 2022) – Wild species have long served as a source of food and income for millions of rural people. But unsustainable levels of hunting are threatening the health, livelihoods and cultural identity of Indigenous Peoples and rural communities – and risk the extinction of hundreds of wildlife species. In addition, approximately 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases today, and almost all recent epidemics, originate from animals and particularly wildlife (e.g. Ebola virus, COVID-19, Lassa virus, HIV). 

To confront these challenges, major international initiative Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is developing innovative, collaborative, and scalable new approaches to conserve wild animals and protect ecosystems – whilst improving local livelihoods.   

 Join the SWM Programme for the launch of a 3D virtual tour around their 13 project sites across the African continent, on 15 September at the GLF Africa 2022 digital conference. Find out how communities, scientists and policymakers address the complex issues around wild meat in Africa; zoom in on a case study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that involves a human-rights-based approach; and hear the story behind the exhibition images from Brent Stirton, National Geographic photographer and winner of the 2022 Visa D’Or Feature Award for his work on “Bushmeat and epidemics”.  

 “The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is the largest international initiative to tackle the wild meat challenge by addressing the sustainable use of wildlife for local people livelihoods, food security and conservation of biodiversity.” – Robert Nasi, CIFOR Director General. 

• WHAT: Walk on the wild side: A virtual journey around the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme (simultaneous interpretation in English and French) 
• WHEN: 15 September 2022, 16h00–16h45 (EAT / GMT+3) 
• WHERE: Online. Register here for free if you reside in Africa 

WHO: join Getty Images and National Geographic photographer Brent Stirton, CIFOR Director General Robert Nasi, and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) – SWM Programme Site Coordinator in the DRC Stella Asaha.