Dr. Stephanie Brittain conducted research on the drivers of wild meat consumption in Cameroon through a literature review and fieldwork interviewing 542 people in four villages. Key findings included: 1) availability and affordability are primary drivers of wild meat consumption, while health benefits and culture are secondary; 2) consumption rates varied between villages and demographics; and 3) preferences for wild meat centered on taste and ease of access, while avoidance was due to taste, health, and tradition. The research provided insights into designing alternative food projects that consider local tastes, traditions, and access to markets and resources.

1. Drivers of wild meat consumption
drawing on an international literature review &
fieldwork in Cameroon
Dr. Stephanie Brittain
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Oxford
@StephBrittain
Credit: Emiel de Lange

2. IIED carried out a literature review in April
2019 (Booker, 2019)
1800 articles reviewed.
1. Very little that specifically deals with the
drivers of wild meat as a food choice in
rural and urban areas
2. Availability and affordability seen as
primary drivers; health benefits and
cultural motivations secondary
3. More research is needed to investigate
why people choose to eat wild meat
Literature Review: Key drivers of wild meat as a
food choice
@StephBrittain

3. @StephBrittain
Semi-structured interviews
in four villages with differing
characteristics
Interviewed 542 people
from 177 households
Interviews included
questions on:
1. Responder
sociodemographics
2. Importance of wild meat
3. Food preferences &
dislikes
On-the-ground research: site & methods

4. Results: Wild meat consumption & alternatives
Current rates of wild meat consumption
o People in village 1 eat wild meat more frequently than in the other villages
o Older participants eat wild meat less frequently than younger participants.
o Men eat wild meat more frequently than women
o Hunters eat wild meat more than people with other livelihoods
Availability and seasonality of wild meat alternatives
o Alternatives exist in all four villages, regardless of the presence of formal alternative projects
o Alternatives are available seasonally, but
o village location in relation to roads, market access and the reserve may influence the availability of
alternatives, and peoples’ ability to ensure their food security throughout the year.

5. @StephBrittain
Results: preference & avoidance
o Key drivers of preference: Good taste, ease of access, and perceived health benefits
o Key drivers of avoidance: A bad taste, health concerns, traditions, and in some cases, the
appearance of the meat.
o Village and individual level differences in avoidance and the drivers of avoidance
Preferred Avoided

6. @StephBrittain
o Culture, taste and availability are important drivers of
consumption.
o Future alternatives should be easy to access, taste good and
be perceived as healthy.
o Alternatives project designers should consider the
importance of tradition, in particular gendered and ethnicity
based differences in consumption.
o Fish is a preferred alternative to wild meat; but only
seasonally available.
o Village level differences in availability of wild meat and
alternatives, as well as access to roads and markets may
affect participation in alternatives projects.
o Results were used to guide design of next phase of research
Conclusions