The global demand for ejiao traditional medicine is destroying working donkey populations in developing communities that depend on these animals for their livelihoods.
The donkey skin trade creates intersecting welfare crises for both animals and humans. Donkeys stolen or purchased under economic pressure from families are transported in poor conditions to slaughterhouses. The human welfare impact on communities losing their essential working animals is equally severe. Smallholder farmers who lose their draft animals face significant economic hardship with limited alternatives. Consumer demand reduction is essential as enforcement alone cannot stop trade driven by large price differentials.