Health and economic valuation of the subsistence harvest of wildlife in Madagascar

Christopher Golden, PhD, MPH

Harvard School of Public Health (CHGE)

Director, WCS’ HEAL (Health & Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages)ATBC 2014

Health and economic valuation of the subsistence harvest of wildlife in Madagascar

HEAL SLIDE

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Ecological Transition:

enter the Anthropocene

Intact,

Natural

Environments

Engineered

Infrastructure/

Markets

Increased capital,

Increased inequality

The Poor

Loss of natural insurance:

food, shelter, etc.

Conservation as

Public Health Intervention

85% of all flora and fauna in Madagascar is endemic to the country

50% of floral diversity is found in the Makira watershed

Lemurs and all native carnivores are endemic only to Madagascar

Makira Watershed

Wildlife as an Ecosystem Service

BUSHMEAT AND ECONOMIES

The bushmeat trade is a local to global market that is

valued at billions of dollars per year

Biodiversity Targeted

• 7 yrs of panel data from 2 adjacent NPs for more than 650 hh

• Only 2% of wildlife harvest is sold (n=232, from 194 hh)

• Wildlife demand curve

• Two-stage least squares panel data method using IVs

• Average ecosystem service value per hectare was $0.42/ha

• 57% of annual cash income (95%CI: 1.3-190.7%)

• Imputed price of wildlife and its consumption were highly correlated where higher prices led to reduced consumption

• Welfare value (foregone benefits from conservation)

• 2/3 of wildlife is harvested illegally

Nutritional Value of Wildlife

Global Anemia Prevalence

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Nutritional Importance of

Wildlife

Nutritional Importance of

Wildlife

Wildlife and nutrition

Anthropometry & Clinical Work

Nutritional Analyses

- Micronutrients (iron, zinc), vitamins (A, B12, E) and fatty acids (LA/ALA vs EPA/DHA)

- Biomarkers (CRP, AGP, TFR, ferritin)- Linking diet to status- Linking environmental change to diet

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS• the HEAL Consortium

• Matthew Bonds, Justin

Brashares and Claire Kremen

• Dr. Herlyne Ramihantaniarivo

• WCS Madagascar

• Anjaranirina Evelin Gasta