Bushmeat hunting in western Serengeti Hunting seen as - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Influence of Microcredit-funded Businesses on Human Welfare and Bushmeat Consumption Among Communities in Serengeti, Tanzania Asanterabi Lowassa 1,2 , Sam Maghimbi 1 , Loiruki Naiman 3 , Andrea Wallace 3 , and Anke Fischer 4 1 University of Dar es Salaam, 2 Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, 3 Frankfurt Zoological Society, 4 James Hutton Institute

Bushmeat hunting in western Serengeti  Hunting seen as poverty-driven activity  Efforts to link conservation and development goals  Community-based conservation initiatives; Wildlife Management Areas – support of social services  Communal benefits often perceived negatively  In 2009, FZS and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) initiated a microcredit scheme - Community Conservation Bank (COCOBA)

The microcredit concept  Launched in 1983: Grameen Bank in Bangladesh – Prof. Yunus earned Nobel Prize in 2006  Aim : To help poor households in accessing capital to improve their income generation initiatives  Recently implemented around Serengeti National Park  Assumption : will improve livelihoods and therefore reduce pressure on wildlife

Formation of COCOBA groups

COCOBAs – how they work 1,000 – 3,000 TSh per week COCOBA

Study objectives To complement a widespread economic perspective with social perspective  To investigate the impact of microcredits on bush meat consumption  To investigate the impact of microcredit- funded businesses on perceived wellbeing of a household

Methods  Site: Western side of Serengeti National Park (outside Park)  Qualitative and quantitative methods • 8 FGDs ( Checklists ) with loan takers and trainers in 4 villages • Questionnaire : Quasi-experiment, comparing households from the same villages who had (n=63) and those that had not (n=58) participated in the microcredit scheme  Key variables included were: 1. Amounts of protein consumed: dietary recall exercise 2. Self-reported wellbeing 3. Use of the loan

Results 1.Protein consumption in households with and without microcredits Microcredit takers Non-credit takers Bushmeat Bushmeat Mean: 1.17 meals per week Mean: 2.36 meals per week p<0.05 Non-bushmeat meals Non-bushmeat meals (beef, chicken, fish, goat) (beef, chicken, fish, goat) Mean: 2.80 meals per week Mean: 1.87 meals per week not significant

Results COCOBA and bushmeat consumption – implications  Difference in number of bushmeat meals was significant. Microcredit users consumed bushmeat less frequently.  Potential explanation:  Microcredits supported the purchase or raising of other (more expensive) proteins such as beef, chicken, goat, sheep, fish

Results 2.Credit spending  50% of borrowers 60 used all credit to establish business Credit Percentage 40  45% of all borrowers 20 used credit for meeting household needs (medical 0 costs, school fees) – non-intended

Results The nature of microcredit-funded businesses  More people engage in business activities

Results The nature of microcredit-funded businesses  Bushmeat trade reduced

Results The nature of microcredit-funded businesses  Most businesses are grain & livestock

Results The nature of microcredit-funded businesses  Limited capital available & short repayment periods

Results Social structures and business success  Gender roles played an important role ‒ Women constrained in their business choice ‒ Significant difference in the frequency of travelling for business (p<0.05)  Most women confine business to their home village ‒ This was due to gendered tasks assigned to women

Summary • Microcredits appear to support business alternatives to hunting and selling of bushmeat • Many businesses funded through credits were based on price speculations (grain trade) • Credits used for social purposes improved household welfare-supported school fees, medical care or housing, but complicated loan repayment

Conclusions  Microcredit scheme can support households to consume other, non-bushmeat protein and thus potentially reduce bushmeat consumption  Opportunities for long-term businesses need to be improved  People seem to have many credit needs other then business creation hence social loans need to be improved  To support conservation, a strategy is needed to upscale microcredit schemes to other villages adjacent to protected areas

Acknowledgements  Supervisors Prof. Maghimbi – University of Dar es Salaam - Dr. Anke Fischer – James Hutton Institute -  EU and the CREATE Project – for funding this study  Frankfurt Zoological Society – for field assistance  Dr. G Wallace and Dr. A Wallace – data management  Dr. S Nindi, Dr. S Mduma and Dr. D Rentsch for their support and advice THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING