The Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme

The Challenge

Millions of people depend on wild meat and fish for food and income. Wild meat is an important source of protein, fat, and micronutrients. It is an essential part of the diet for Indigenous Peoples and rural communities, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions of Latin America, Africa and Asia.

If hunting for wild meat is not managed at sustainable levels, then wildlife populations will decline and rural communities may suffer rising levels of food insecurity. The situation is becoming more critical as the demand for wild meat grows, particularly in urban areas where it is consumed as a luxury or tradition. In fact, recent studies estimate that 285 mammal species are already threatened with extinction due to hunting for wild meat.

SWM Programme

The SWM Programme sets out to develop sustainable solutions to tackle these challenges. It is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states and funded by the European Union through the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).

The programme mobilizes a group of international organizations with experience and expertise in wildlife conservation, food security, and policy development. A consortium partnership, which includes the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), implements the programme.

Impact at Scale

The seven-year SWM Programme is developing innovative, collaborative, and scalable new models to conserve wildlife and improve food security. Twelve participating ACP countries are currently implementing projects: Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guyana, Madagascar, Mali, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In each country, the SWM partners are working closely with national authorities and other local institutions. The results from the SWM Programme will be adapted and developed both within each pilot country and in other ACP countries.

Read More

Please visit the public SWM web portal for up-to-date information on SWM Programme activities, news, and stories.