Why trade?

Trade in natural and agricultural goods has long been a key part of economic growth – but not all growth is sustainable. Removing too many wild animals or plants can cause populations to decline and ultimately crash. Clearing land for crops also removes important habitat for wildlife and threatens water, air and soil resources.

To protect our natural environment and support human development, we must take steps to make trade more sustainable. 

Trade and Nature: Trade-offs and Solutions webinar series

Explore our new Trade Tools Navigator

Where we work

Wildlife

We focus on wild animals, skins, and a selection of non-timber forest products to understand the drivers and impacts of trade, and propose solutions to unsustainable trade.

Agricultural goods

We harness innovations in supply chain mapping and modelling to assess the impacts of global agricultural trade on wildlife and people.

Wild meat

Using market surveys and training in the Congo Basin and Tanzania we reveal the true impact of the trade in wild meat, from forests to the cities.