The African Union has announced a ban on the trade of donkey skins for a minimum of 15 years, following significant pressure to address the brutal and unsustainable trend driven by the demand for ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient believed to have anti-aging properties. The decision was made during the 37th session of the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa and was proposed by the Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment. The ban was also influenced by the report “Donkeys in Africa Now and in the Future” promoted by the Brooke Hospital organization, which highlighted the impact of the trade on donkeys in Africa.
The insatiable demand for ejiao has resulted in a substantial decline in the donkey population in China, leading the country to turn to Africa and South America for donkey skins. The Donkey Sanctuary organization reports that almost 6 million donkeys are killed worldwide each year for this purpose, and the trend is increasing. Equine defense organizations have applauded the ban as a historic and drastic measure against the brutal and unsustainable trade, acknowledging the significant role of donkeys in supporting poor rural communities.
The domestic donkey, derived from the African wild donkey, is now classified as critically endangered, with approximately 33 million donkeys living and working in Africa. However, in countries like Kenya, half of the donkey population was killed for ejiao between 2016 and 2019. While some governments initially saw the trade as an opportunity, several countries have since made export of donkey skins illegal or raised export taxes to discourage the practice. Nonetheless, the high demand and prices have led to theft and smuggling.
The focus now is to ensure that the ban is implemented in all countries and that this decision is replicated worldwide, as stated by African officials at Brooke. The hope is that this ban will help protect the donkey population and prevent the cruel treatment of these working animals.