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From Tiger Bone to Plant-Based Alternatives: A Survey on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Substitutability in Hong Kong
Conducted in 2023, the survey involved 1,556 participants and explored demographics, attitudes towards wildlife consumption, TCM usage, and experiences with substitutes. Key to the survey were descriptions that assessed the public acceptance of substitutes for five specific products: tiger bone, bear bile, tokay gecko, seahorse, and saiga horn. Participants evaluated potential substitutes based on factors such as price, legality of the original product, substitute accessibility and type, and the conservation status of the species in the wild. The findings indicate that to effectively promote sustainable alternatives, conservation strategies must be tailored to specific species and align with traditional practices.
“While there is an urgent need to find substitutes for threatened species used in TCM, given that many of these iconic and ecologically-important species are declining in the wild, substitution is complex,” says Dr Jessica Bell Rizzolo, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University. “The survey method we used allowed people to simultaneously evaluate factors such as the type of substitute and its accessibility. This mirrors the real-world process by which people make complicated decisions about TCM substitutes, helping us promote workable alternatives to threatened species.”
The report provides a detailed overview of the Hong Kong context, where TCM has been integrated into the public healthcare system and is primarily used for chronic conditions. Despite its growing popularity, TCM is less favoured for serious illnesses when compared to Western medicine. However, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role that TCM practitioners play in meeting healthcare demands, when TCM was promoted by the Hong Kong government and played a role in patient treatment and recovery.
“TCM is an integral part of everyday life and culture in Hong Kong, where many people rely on TCM for their healthcare”, says Dr Hubert Cheung, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Sapienza University of Rome. “However, TCM can pose challenges for conservation when products derived from wild plants and animals are traded unsustainably, especially for threatened species. With TCM gaining new users globally, it is critical to accelerate the sustainability transition of the TCM industry and ensure that its growth does not hurt biodiversity.”
The report also spotlights Hong Kong’s significant role as a wildlife trading hub, particularly for products derived from endangered species; a market that is often exploited by organised crime syndicates. The report concludes with a call for further research and education to encourage the use of sustainable substitutes in TCM while ensuring the protection of endangered species.
“By better understanding TCM customers and the factors that lead them to accept alternatives to threatened wildlife species, this study will help us develop messages that will resonate with our target audiences,” says Jovy Chan, Manager, Wildlife Conservation at WWF-Hong Kong.
© WWF-Hong Kong
“Substitutability for CITES-Listed Species Products in Traditional Chinese Medicine” report