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Prescription for change: how we can be more effective at reducing demand for wildlife-containing Traditional Chinese Medicine

Report 8th Jan 2025

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient practice with thousands of years of history rooted in Chinese culture and tradition. As global conservation efforts intensify, there is an urgent need to tackle the illegal and unsustainable use of endangered species in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), while respecting its cultural importance.

We were commissioned by GIZ, Germany’s leading development agency, to assess the state of evidence on initiatives to reduce demand for wildlife products used for TCM, in and around China. We have seen from our previous work with the conservation sector and in particular with wildlife demand-reduction efforts in the region, that practitioners with a huge amount of conservation expertise and good intentions do not always make best use of the latest behavioural science principles, methods or rigour.

We undertook a comprehensive and systematic review of demand-reduction campaigns and interventions in the region, by assessing the available literature and interviewing local and international practitioners and academics. While a number of excellent case studies exist, we also found the great majority of campaigns and interventions were i) not subject to a robust impact evaluation (meaning the sector is slow to learn what work and what doesn’t), ii) did not make good use of behavioural theory and evidence in designing campaigns (instead drawing on an intuitive account of behaviour being driven largely by awareness), iii) did not explore intervention touch points and levers beyond information provision (which is important, but overlooks the power of incentives, regulatory influence, social norms, and the way in which the choice environment affects availability and ease of access, particularly through trusted TCM practitioners).

These insights lead directly to our key recommendations, expanded and discussed in the full report.

  1.  Use robust behavioural science evidence, theories, principles and methodologies when designing campaigns.
  2.  Leverage multiple change points: partner with industry stakeholders to trial non-informational strategies and reframe incentives.
  3. Commit to rigorous evaluation: build a stronger evidence base to understand what works, for whom, and why.
  4.  Respect cultural contexts: tailor approaches to align with local traditions and values.

There’s a long journey ahead within the conservation sector to begin to normalise the use of evidence-based behavioural insights and rigorous evaluation, learning from other sectors in which this has now become commonplace. We’d love to continue working on this important issue, get in touch to explore how our understanding of human behaviour can help turn your challenges into actionable solutions.

Authors

Toby Park

Director, Head of Climate, Energy & Sustainability

Design and development by Soapbox.