# The Far-Reaching Consequences of China's Demand for African Donkeys

An episode of [The China in Africa Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/484409506), 14 Apr 2023, 48 min.

Audio: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/b3f2a027-658f-4f2b-812a-d8c56362e481/CAP_04142023_Art19.mp3?dest-id=4284093

Elephants, rhinos, and lions usually come to mind first in discussions about the China-Africa animal trade, not donkeys. But surging demand for donkey hides used to manufacture a Chinese traditional medicinal product is having a devastating impact on rural populations across Africa that depend on this essential farm animal. In countries like Kenya, illegal poaching and unregulated slaughterhouses have led to a near-50% plunge in the number of donkeys. Lauren Johnston, a consultant senior researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, joins Cobus to discuss her latest research on the topic and why the illicit China-Africa donkey trade is having a disproportionate impact on women in rural African farming communities. SHOW NOTES: • South African Institute of International Affairs: China, Africa, and the Market for Donkeys: Keeping the Cart Behind the Donkey by Lauren Johnston: https://bit.ly/3mykKTW • Nikkei Asia: China must tame its donkey trade for Africa's sake by Lauren Johnston: https://s.nikkei.com/408AXg8 • The Standard: Donkey population has gone down by 800,000 by Antony Kitonga: https://bit.ly/4162xMA JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Twitter: @ChinaGSProject| @stadenesque | @eric_olander | @lajohnstondr YouTube: www.youtube.com/chinaafricaproject Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine عربي: www.akhbaralsin-africia.com | @AkhbarAlSinAfr JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CAP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CAP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaafricaproject See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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