Domestic ivory trade: the supply chain for raw ivory in Thailand is driven by the financial needs of elephant owners and market factors

The ivory trade is of global interest due to its impacts on elephant conservation. Thailand permits the domestic trade of ivory from domesticated elephants. Knowledge of the supply chain is important for managing this market in order to achieve sustainable benefits for both wildlife conservation and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHuman dimensions of wildlife Vol. 28; no. 6; pp. 602 - 619
Main Authors Chaitae, Apinya, Addison, Jane, Gordon, Iain J., Marsh, Helene
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia Routledge 02.11.2023
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Domestic ivory trade
elephant
Elephants
raw ivory
supply chain
Supply chains
Thailand
Wildlife conservation
Thailand
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Summary:The ivory trade is of global interest due to its impacts on elephant conservation. Thailand permits the domestic trade of ivory from domesticated elephants. Knowledge of the supply chain is important for managing this market in order to achieve sustainable benefits for both wildlife conservation and human livelihoods. We interviewed elephant owners and ivory manufacturers to conduct an analysis of the Thai ivory supply chain. Five key actor groups operate in this supply chain: elephant owners, intermediaries, manufacturers, retailers, and ivory consumers. Factors influencing the supply of raw ivory vary with harvesting, use, and sale destination but the financial needs of elephant owners and market factors are particularly influential. Elephant owner decisions also depend on elephant management, sentimental values, ivory beliefs, tusk forms, and legal awareness. These findings have the potential to inform the design of monitoring the Thai ivory market.
ISSN:1087-1209
1533-158X
DOI:10.1080/10871209.2022.2143600