The ‘UKRI GCRF Trade, Development and the Environment Hub’ will trace the trade of agricultural goods, wildlife and wild meat from their origin in Brazil, Cameroon, China, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Indonesia and Tanzania and then throughout the world.
The Hub will link country-level results will a global modeling framework to analyze different possible trade futures and how these different scenarios could benefit or impact nature and marginalized people.
22 January 2019: The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) announced it will lead a project to examine how trade decisions can be a positive force for achieving sustainability and supporting the SDGs and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
The project is one of twelve interdisciplinary research hubs funded by the UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund (UKRI GCRF), which aims to provide creative and sustainable solutions to help make the world safer, healthier and more prosperous.
The ‘UKRI GCRF Trade, Development and the Environment Hub’ will trace the trade of agricultural goods, wildlife and wild meat from their origin in Brazil, Cameroon, China, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Indonesia and Tanzania and then throughout the world. The Hub will link country-level results with a global modeling framework to analyze different possible trade futures and how these different scenarios could benefit or impact nature and marginalized people. The Hub will then consider the UK’s trade relations and dependencies and their implications for a sustainable future.
Trade of wild species and crops has incredible potential for creating long-term jobs and boosting economic growth.
According to UNEP-WCMC, trade of wild species and crops has “incredible potential” for creating long-term jobs and boosting economic growth. At the same time, demand for agricultural land for crops removes natural habitat for wildlife, and intensive trade can impact wild animal and plant populations, which can also have negative effects for marginalized people and communities. The Hub will examine the role of trade in both sustaining global livelihoods and destroying habitats, contributing to species’ extinction and harming vulnerable people. The Hub will also produce research to help ensure that trade becomes a “driver of positive change in the world, with biodiversity loss halted and people permanently lifted out of poverty.”
The UKRI GCRF supports cutting-edge research and innovation to address global issues faced by developing countries and to promote efforts to achieve the SDGs. The UKRI GCRF announced 12 Hubs, including the Trade, Development and the Environment Hub. UKRI Champion for International, Andrew Thompson, said the scale and ambition of these Hubs enables “us to deliver a coordinated global response.” He emphasized that each of the UKRI GCRF’s 12 Hubs “has the potential to transform the quality of life for multitudes throughout the world and safeguard our planet for future generations.”
The Trade, Development and the Environment Hub will work with over 50 organizations from 15 countries, representing academia, civil society, governments, industry and trade agencies. [UNEP-WCMC Press Release] [UKRI Press Release] [UKRI Website]