Identifying knowledge and research gaps on wild meat use and consumption in Asia and the Pacific

The SWM Programme is conducting the first comprehensive regional assessment of wild meat value chains across Asia and the Pacific. This analysis examines patterns of wild meat use and consumption, the role of wild meat in food security, nutrition and livelihoods, as well as impacts on zoonotic risks and conservation. It also reviews the effectiveness of past interventions aimed at reducing or sustainably managing wild meat use. The SWM Programme will establish a regional community of practice and to facilitate knowledge-sharing and dialogue among practitioners, researchers and policymakers. Policy recommendations will strengthen the implementation of national and regional strategies on sustainable wildlife use, pandemic prevention and food security.

Improving knowledge of wild meat use and value chains

Despite growing concerns over zoonotic risks and biodiversity loss linked to wild meat, critical knowledge gaps persist. While research has examined urban consumption patterns, rural dependence on wild meat for food security and livelihoods remains poorly understood. The SWM Programme will map and assess local wild meat value chains in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Papua New Guinea and Viet Nam to better understand their importance to the food security and livelihoods of rural populations, and to assess the risks of biodiversity loss and disease emergence and transmission. This evidence base will be used to develop future targeted and context-specific interventions to reduce trade-offs and ensure the sustainable use and management of wild meat.

Piloting community-based approaches for disease detection and risk-based surveillance

Effective early detection of zoonotic disease threats requires surveillance systems that extend beyond formal veterinary and public health networks to reach remote rural areas where wildlife–human–livestock interactions are most frequent. Rural communities are often the first to observe disease events in wildlife populations, yet their knowledge rarely feeds into national surveillance systems. 
The SWM Programme pilots community-based surveillance approaches that empower local communities to detect and report wildlife disease outbreaks. In collaboration with provincial and national stakeholders, the Programme will link these local surveillance systems with formal and informal national surveillance networks, strengthening early warning capacity and enabling a rapid response to emerging zoonotic threats.

Strengthening law and policy implementation for sustainable wildlife management and One Health

Effective wildlife management and zoonotic risk reduction require coherent legal frameworks and functional intersectoral coordination. However, many countries face fragmented legislation across the wildlife, health and agriculture sectors, where there are unclear enforcement mechanisms and weak One Health operationalization at the national and subnational levels. The SWM Programme assesses legal and institutional frameworks relevant to priority sectors defined with governments and other key stakeholders. Based on this evaluation, the SWM Programme will propose recommendations and support governments in making future reforms related to sustainable wildlife management under a One Health approach. Finally, the Programme supports countries to assess national One Health implementation and to develop national action plans.