China, Africa and the Market for Donkeys: Keeping the Cart Behind the Donkey

The document examines the clash between the rural African donkey market, where the animal is a vital workhorse for the poor, and the lucrative Chinese market for ejiao (donkey-hide glue). It highlights how explosive demand in China has led to donkey shortages, illicit smuggling, and severe welfare abuses, which in turn diminish the socio-economic mobility of rural Africans, particularly women and girls. The author argues that the current unregulated trade risks damaging China-Africa relations and suggests implementing sustainability certifications, breeding programs, and a distinction between medicinal and wellness-based ejiao consumption to ensure a sustainable supply chain.

• China's domestic donkey population is insufficient to meet the demand for ejiao, which is estimated at 5 million donkey hides annually. Only about 2 million hides are sourced from China's domestic population, forcing entrepreneurs to seek donkeys abroad, particularly in Africa.
• In Africa, donkeys are essential for the rural poor, especially women and girls, by increasing productivity, reducing physical drudgery, and enabling children to attend school. The loss of donkeys to the trade can lead to a return to poverty and diminished social mobility.
• The illicit donkey trade has led to extreme animal welfare abuses and organised criminality. In South Africa, reports include donkeys being skinned alive or bludgeoned to death, and large quantities of undeclared hides being smuggled in cargo containers.
• Several African countries have implemented bans or restrictions on donkey exports to protect their populations. These include Tanzania (10-year ban on slaughter), Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Burkina Faso, though implementation varies and illicit trade often circumvents these laws.
• The donkey's slow breeding cycle—with jennies typically producing one foal every other year—creates a fundamental supply constraint that makes the current level of consumption unsustainable.
• The ejiao industry is highly concentrated in China's Shandong province, which accounts for approximately 80% of production. The market is dominated by Dong’e Ejiao, which holds a 60% market share.
• The author compares the donkey trade to the 'market for lemons' economic theory, suggesting that the prevalence of an illicit, inhumane parallel trade may lead to a total collapse of public support and the formal market for donkeys.
• The loss of donkeys has negative environmental impacts, as they are more sustainable for land management than heavy machinery and provide essential manure for crops.

APA

Johnston, L. (2023). China, Africa and the Market for Donkeys: Keeping the Cart Behind the Donkey. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SAIIA_OP-339_ChinaAfricaDonkeys.pdf

Chicago

Johnston, Lauren. China, Africa and the Market for Donkeys: Keeping the Cart Behind the Donkey. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SAIIA_OP-339_ChinaAfricaDonkeys.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnston |first1=Lauren |title=China, Africa and the Market for Donkeys: Keeping the Cart Behind the Donkey |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=January 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SAIIA_OP-339_ChinaAfricaDonkeys.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnston2023china, author = {Johnston, Lauren}, title = {{China, Africa and the Market for Donkeys: Keeping the Cart Behind the Donkey}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SAIIA_OP-339_ChinaAfricaDonkeys.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }