Bushmeat research database

The Bushmeat Research Initiative (BRI) was established in 2011 as an integral part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry. It is based on knowledge accumulated by CIFOR scientists and partners over more than 15 years of research, and focuses on the multiple benefits, functions and risks associated with the harvesting of bushmeat in tropical forests worldwide. Since 1993, CIFOR scientists and collaborators have produced several publications on the patterns of bushmeat harvesting, consumption and marketing, which have greatly influenced decision-making and policy design at the local, regional and national levels. They have also contributed to the diverse initiatives of agencies and institutions involved in the conservation and management of forest resources for biodiversity and human welfare. The BRI aims to continue generating cutting-edge information and syntheses on the role of bushmeat in enhancing or limiting the adaptive responses of forest-dependent communities to the challenges and opportunities produced by climate change, urban expansion and other socio-environmental shifts. Scientists participating in the program will help develop managerial tools that will help to improve the sustainability of bushmeat harvesting at the local and national levels across the Neotropics, Africa and Asia.