Demand has a Dark Side !
E-jiao, once a luxury product from 1644 to 1912, has seen a resurgence in popularity, partly due to the Chinese TV series ‘Empress in the Palace’. But this demand is fueling the slaughter of millions of donkeys annually.
The industry needs 5.9 million donkey skins each year, putting global populations under unprecedented pressure. China’s donkey population has plummeted from 11 million in 1992 to under 2 million today.
In Nigeria, tens of thousands of donkeys are slaughtered yearly, leading to a 2019 export ban. In 2022, a shipment of almost 10 metric tons of donkey skins was seized in Karachi, headed for Hong Kong. It’s high time the e-jiao industry invests in sustainable alternatives.
Check the links for detailed story . https://www.reuters.com/graphics/AFRICA-CHINA/DONKEYS/xmpjrdgbxpr/
