Content published by AWEI in 2025 

Effective governance of communal institutions is critical to the financial sustainability of community-based natural resource management economies. This paper evaluates the effects of local management and governance on income earned by communal conservancies in Namibia during 2011–2022. The authors compiled annual income and performance scores for natural resource management and...

The SWEP Feedback Report presents key findings from the Sustainable Wildlife Economies Project (SWEP), a collaborative initiative among government, academia, and the private wildlife ranching sector. It investigates how wildlife-based land use and other sustainable wildlife-based economies in South Africa contribute to sustainable land management, socio-economic development, and biodiversity conservation...

The wildlife economy and South Africa's land reform objectives This policy brief discusses how opportunities for land reform beneficiaries in South Africa’s wildlife economy align with land reform objectives, including social justice and economic development. In rural areas, land reform programmes focus on supporting agricultural land uses. However, in regions...

Short article: Let’s talk about how to streamline CITES AWEI at CITES CoP 20 This policy brief on streamlining CITES ( Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) reviews CITES' agenda and working arrangements with a view to improving its effectiveness and efficiency. It aims...

The current game meat industry value chain analysis focuses primarily on individual firm analysis, production costs and mapping of illegal and legal game meat trade routes. Although there is an attempt to demonstrate the sector's potential contribution to conservation, food security, and livelihood improvement, it remains unclear how the industry...

The South African game meat industry exhibits significant potential for growth, both domestically and internationally, due to the increasing demand for high-quality, ethically sourced, and sustainably produced protein. The industry has existed for around a century, with its first export to the EU occurring 45 years ago (1979), continuing until...

This policy brief reviews the Motions before the 2025 IUCN Members' Assembly from the perspective of sustainable use. It aims to assist Members in making decisions on whether to vote in favour or against IUCN Motions with implications for sustainable use of wild species. Section 1 summarises a selection of...