This Wildlife-based Economy Strategy Framework is a comprehensive guide designed to support the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and wildlife by promoting trade and investment in wildlife-based products and services. It directs SADC Member States towards a future where the sustainable use of marine and terrestrial wildlife drives transformative growth and development. By treating wildlife as an economic asset, the framework aims to create value that aligns with conservation goals and fosters sustainable growth and economic development. The sustainable use of biodiversity within the wildlife-based economy encompasses consumptive and non-consumptive practices. Currently, the estimated contribution of this economy to the SADC region’s GDP is limited to two sub-sectors: terrestrial and marine wildlife plants, and terrestrial and marine wildlife animals. Developing a wildlife-based economy necessitates a positive link between environmental, economic, and socio-cultural sustainability, alongside financial stability. This framework offers opportunities to expand niche markets and product offerings and addresses several growth potentials (i) the global trend towards the Green Economy and sustainability; (ii) increased global awareness of climate change issues; (iii) rapid potential growth tempered by political instability risks; (iv) traditional focus on protected areas rather than the surrounding regions. Key principles of the strategy include transparency, inclusivity, and respect for human rights. This strategic vision is underpinned by four interlinked objectives, each designed to guide and catalyze the growth of a wildlife-based economy while ensuring the conservation of indigenous biodiversity (1) Promoting Globally Competitive Utilization: This objective focuses on driving the development of innovative, transformative, and sustainable wildlife-based value chains. These value chains, closely tied to socio-economic needs, are intended to become the backbone of regional economic development; (2) Inclusive Socio-economic Development and Poverty Alleviation: This goal is centered on harnessing the potential of the wildlife-based economy for the benefit of SADC citizens. It emphasizes creating sustainable livelihoods, alleviating poverty, and enhancing household incomes; (3) Fostering Collaboration: Recognizing the importance of partnerships, this objective aims to create an enabling environment for the growth and development of the wildlife-based economy through international, regional, and national alliances. Cooperation is deemed essential for the success of the Strategy, transcending borders and uniting countries in a shared vision; (4) Amplifying Recognition: This objective calls for amplifying the voice of the SADC Wildlife-Based Economy on national and global platforms, highlighting the importance and benefits of the Strategy. By raising awareness, the goal is to demonstrate the commitment of Member States to adopting and implementing this framework. To implement the strategy, actions under the four objectives should include (1) fostering long-term partnerships among stakeholders with transparency and inclusivity, ensuring information sharing throughout the value chain, setting pricing mechanisms that reflect conservation costs and support local communities, respecting indigenous rights, developing innovative and sustainable wildlife-based value chains, coordinating efforts among member states, promoting good practices in biodiversity conservation, and ensuring equitable benefit-sharing and increased innovation in sustainable wildlife use; (2) reducing the Gini coefficient, increasing employment across wildlife-based value chains, establishing benefit-sharing agreements, making progress on relevant SDG targets, creating jobs, including people with disabilities, reducing unemployment, providing training to vulnerable groups, involving new communities and entrepreneurs, utilizing effective incentives, and supporting communities, SMMEs, and entrepreneurs in the wildlife economy; (3) establishing alliance agreements, increasing the adoption and sharing of best practices and technologies for sustainable wildlife use, identifying wildlife-based economy institutions and arrangements, setting up a scientific advisory committee, registering and sharing patents and geographical indications, and ensuring a good governance framework among Member States; (4) implementing a comprehensive communication strategy, ensuring Member States adopt and domesticate the Strategy, and developing, implementing, and enforcing stewardship guidelines.
2023-01-01