Call for 'urgent action' after donkey slaughter statement from Chinese industry
Demand from China drives the donkey skin trade, which fuels brutal and illegal trade from Africa and Latin America.
Brooke has called for action to be taken on the donkey skin trade, in response to a worrying statement made by the China Animal Agriculture Association.
Brooke has called for urgent and immediate action after the China Animal Agriculture Association announced it needs increased access to donkeys to meet the demand for ejiao, a gelatin boiled from donkey skins.
Six million donkey skins are currently used each year for ejiao, which is used in skincare, traditional Chinese medicine and food supplements, with the majority sourced from Africa.
In response to comments made to China Newsweek by Wang Cunghong, the head of the Donkey Association, part of the China Animal Agriculture Association, regarding China’s access to donkeys for the skin and meat trade, Brooke's Head of Global Policy at Brooke, Anna Marry, said:
"The ongoing threat to donkey populations from the illegal skin trade is an urgent crisis that requires immediate action.
Demand in China is driving up prices for donkeys, which has devastating effects on communities where these animals are sourced.
“We must unite to end this exploitation and secure a future where donkeys are valued and safeguarded, for generations to come."
Women and children ‘become donkeys’
With many countries already banning the practice and trade, community working animals are being stolen to fuel the illegal trade.
“The donkeys are often stolen to meet the demand and our research in Africa exposes horrific cruelty," explains Anna Marry.
After being stolen, animals are then being walked for weeks to exhaustion, bludgeoned and beaten, before their throats are slit.
The illegal trade is also leaving communities at risk and, in many cases, women and girls are then taking on the role of water-gatherer, meaning they can no longer have access to education.
This exacerbates gender inequity as women and children ‘become donkeys’ instead.
When there is no donkey to do the work, the women and children often become donkeys themselves – doing hard labour to source vital water for health and crop irrigation.
Africa could lose half its donkeys
If the donkey skin trade continues, it is estimated that Africa could lose half of its donkey populations in the next 15 years.
We must secure a global ban or could see Africa lose half its donkey population by 2040.
“Breeding and farming will never be the answer to the growing demand for the skin from these beautiful and sentient animals."