Donkeys and the Skin Trade | Animal Welfare Hub

Global demand for ejiao — a traditional Chinese medicine product made from donkey skin gelatin — has driven a rapid expansion of donkey slaughter, causing significant welfare problems in sourcing countries.

Key Facts

Approximately 4 to 4.8 million donkeys are slaughtered annually for ejiao production
Global demand has increased donkey skin prices tenfold in a decade, creating new trafficking networks
Donkeys are being stolen from smallholder farmers in Africa, Latin America, and Asia
Transport of donkeys to slaughter facilities often involves extreme crowding and long journeys
Donkeys are often slaughtered in informal facilities without humane killing standards
Several African countries have banned donkey skin exports due to theft and welfare concerns

Welfare Considerations

The ejiao trade has created a welfare crisis that affects both individual donkeys and the human communities that depend on them. Donkeys stolen from smallholder families disrupt livelihoods and push animals into poorly regulated slaughter pipelines with minimal welfare oversight. The suffering involved — in theft, informal slaughter, and transport — is acute and widespread. Demand reduction in consumer markets for ejiao products, combined with enforcement of export bans in source countries, offers the most direct welfare and livelihood protection. Alternative ingredients for ejiao exist and have growing commercial support.

What You Can Do

Avoid purchasing ejiao products
Support campaigns calling on companies to source non-donkey-derived ingredients for traditional medicine products
Advocate for enforcement of donkey skin export bans in African and Latin American producer countries
Support organizations working to protect smallholder donkey welfare in affected regions
Raise awareness of the donkey skin trade welfare crisis in traditional medicine product consumer communities