With greater investment, wild meat donation programs could take off and help reduce food shortages.
For centuries, hunters shared excess meat via complex social relationships in communities—billions of people around the world still depend on wild fish and meat. But the loss of traditional ways of life has resulted in a shift in access to wild meat for many people.
Researchers analyzed data from dozens of wild meat donation programs across the United States to learn more about ways these programs could help reduce food insecurity and better connect people with nature.
They found that one of the biggest limiting factors was a lack of participating meat processors, followed by a lack of funding.
To boost these programs, the researchers recommended an increase in funding and incorporating new sources of wild meat harvesting.
“Removing hyperabundant yet renewable wildlife can protect terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem function, thus contributing to a sustainable food production,” the authors of the paper published recently in People and Nature wrote. “Therefore, improving wild-harvested meat donations in the United States can provide a pathway toward better nutrition, the environment and life.”
