The demand for donkey hides has grown exponentially over the past 15 years, driven mainly by demand from China for the production of ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine. Ejiao is a donkey hide gelatin-based tonic for the blood, used to treat fatigue, dizziness, and irregular bleeding, and to support female wellness. The medicine has been used for millennia, but its production has only recently been industrially scaled.
The market for ejiao was until recently mainly medicinal, but it has recently been commercialized and transformed into an array of products, from cakes and drinks to cosmetics and other wellness products. The lead producer, Dong'e Ejiao, has spearheaded premium-end price increases greater than those enjoyed by Shanghai and Beijing property owners over the 2000s and 2010s. There is also demand for ejiao in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the US, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Africa is home to the world's largest donkey population, and as the ejiao industry began to run short of donkey hides from around 2010, the continent became a target of the supply chain, both legal and illicit. Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania were among the earlier targets, given both their donkey supplies and closer geography to China. One donkey hide can fetch over $400 in China, making it a lucrative trade.
The trade has had a significant impact on African communities, with donkeys being sold even though their work is vital. The slow breeding rate of the donkey is affecting supply, and the cycle presents a compounding extinction risk. Porous and remote borders, different regulations, and patchy application of regulation have made stemming the trade almost impossible.
In an effort to halt the trade, the first Pan-African Donkey Conference was held in 2022, which resulted in the Dar es Salaam Declaration, calling for a 15-year continental moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their hides. The African Union Summit in 2024 backed the call and agreed to the moratorium. However, implementation has been imperfect, and progress is underway but far from enough to save the donkey.
The trade is a problem for several reasons, including the fact that supply can't keep up with demand, and donkeys are often stolen, depriving rural households of animals essential to their livelihoods. The Donkey Sanctuary estimates that China imports more than three million donkey hides annually, of which 25-35% are from stolen animals. The issue of price is also affecting communities, with donkey prices climbing beyond what poor families can afford.
The author of the book, Lauren Johnston, hopes that it will contribute to saving the animal and provide a lens through which to understand China's economy, history, and global reach. The book also highlights the impact of the trade on communities, particularly women and girls, who rely on donkeys for their livelihoods and are affected by the loss of these animals.
Key points
- The demand for donkey hides is driven almost exclusively by China, and the trade has had a significant impact on African communities.
- The African Union has called for a 15-year continental moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their hides, but implementation has been imperfect.
- The trade has been linked to organised crime, inhumane slaughter, and biosecurity risks, and has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of women and girls in Africa.
