The TRADE Hub was a five-year, multidisciplinary research project with major global impacts. It advanced the natural and social scientific literature around agricultural commodities, wild meat and wildlife trade supply chains. The Hub was a partnership between over 50 organisations across 15 different countries, with representatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America.  

The project was funded in 2018 by the UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund (UKRI GCRF). The Hub focused on trade as it is essential to delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from responsible consumption and production to food security. Trade has built up economies across the globe and lifted many people out of poverty, however it has also contributed to environmental degradation and social inequalities. TRADE Hub was developed to research the causes of these problems and develop solutions to advance equitable and sustainable trade systems, that also respect planetary boundaries. 

From 2018 to June 2024, TRADE Hub produced: 

• 122 peer reviewed journal articles,  

• 22 reports,  

• Nine policy briefs,  

• Two documentaries, 

• Many other unique outputs, from games to animations. 

Its impact extended beyond advancing academic literature. The Hub’s network of experts worked with governments, the private sector, civil society and smallholder farmers to apply their findings for real-world impact. Many of these stories are shared in the new impact report. 

Here, we share a taster of the project’s influence on the biodiversity science-policy interface. To dive further into these stories and learn more about the project’s findings and resources, access the full impact report. 

Agricultural commodity trade: Promoting transparent and equitable supply chains 

International trade has enabled economic growth for many countries across the globe, however this growth has not always guaranteed positive impacts for people and nature. Huge revenue is generated from the trade of agricultural commodities, such as soy or cocoa. Take soy as an example. In 2019 alone, the total value of the global soy trade was $55.2 billion dollars, totaling more than the entire GDP of many countries that year. Soy production is also responsible for high rates of deforestation in biodiversity hotspots such as the Amazon and the Cerrado. Moreover, the social and economic benefits of soy are not evenly distributed across different producer regions in Brazil. 

The TRADE Hub advanced scientific literature around these kinds of issues, with their findings influencing policy at many scales, and across different commodity trades. Another example relates to rubber. TRADE Hub scientists discovered that deforestation tied to rubber production is often undervalued. In fact, since 1993 over 4 million hectares of forest loss has been driven by rubber production. The scientists mapped rubber plantations across Southeast Asia, with their results going global, reaching around 7.23 million people across nine media platforms. Recommendations from the research influenced policymakers working on the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), which prevents rubber (and other commodities) tied to deforested land from being sold on EU markets. 

Scientists also sought to represent social impacts of trade. The best way to understand the issues faced by smallholder farmers is to talk to the farmers themselves. The TRADE Hub did just that, interviewing a community of coffee and cocoa farmers in Cameroon. They observed that the farmers had an intimate relationship with the forest, desiring to preserve it for future generations. However, sustainable practices were not always possible with limited technology and capacity, especially as farmers received very low profit margins for their products. These findings were captured in the multi-award-winning documentary ‘A Smallholder’s Voice’, which premiered at the World Trade Organisation’s Public Forum in 2022. 

Wild meat trade: Supporting sustainable use in Central Africa 

As well as developing scientific reports, TRADE Hub experts have also had their boots on the ground, implementing solutions to local and national sustainability challenges. A partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society developed potential solutions to the issue of unsustainable wild meat consumption in Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Wild meat refers to the meat of any animal hunted for food, rather than domestically farmed. This alone is not necessarily a problem, however over consumption of certain species, including endangered species, can drive their decline.  

The unsustainable demand for wild meat comes largely from Congo and DRC’s major cities. As a result, researchers developed and trialed a behavioural change campaign, using advertising to show consumers ways of making their favourite Congolese dishes with alternative meats, such as chicken. Behaviour change is a slow process, but these trials have already shown early signs of impact. Over time, these efforts may reduce urban demand for meat from endangered species. 

Wildlife trade: Mapping trade flows of species to inform conservation efforts 

Conservationists cannot conserve species without first identifying their whereabouts. TRADE Hub supported the development of the Wildlife Trade View tool, linked to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The tool provides data trails on the trade of different types of species, at taxon and country levels. CITES aims to prevent risks to vulnerable species across the globe. With this data, risks can be better understood, enabling evidence-based policies and conservation projects. 

More highlights and impact across these trade areas can be found in the impact report. Though the TRADE Hub has now ended, its resources are still available online for another ten years. Access all of its research findings, documentaries, tools, indicators, games, infographics, and more on the project’s website and get in touch via the email contact form with any thoughts or enquiries. 

Main image: Produced by What Took You So Long.