The Pros And Cons Of Ivory Trade

Elephant ivory has been in demand from Victorian England and Asia for decorative purposes (Marston et al., 190). According to the International Union of Conservation of Nature, ivory trade is three times as large as it was in 1998. Most ivory is traded from Africa to Asia (Fisher, 2013). The connections made between countries discloses a roadmap of the needs and demands of people globally. Even though globalization reflects the political, economic and environmental linkages between countries, it has a dark side. This paper will explore the hidden implications of ivory trade. This paper argues that elephant ivory trade is an unruly form of globalization. It is unruly because it promotes lethal infighting between organization involved in the trade, deceives buyers into buying illegal ivory and can lead to the eventual extinction of elephants. Ivory is not a survival …show more content…
Criminal syndicates are involved in the ivory trade because buyers are willing to pay high prices (Lunstrum 2016). Most elephants live in conservation areas, and poaching is the only way to obtain their ivory. Poor people restrained by circumstances are willing to risk their lives by poaching for the criminal groups because it offers more money than any other form of employment (Lunstrum 2016). These people are exploited by the rebel groups because the conservation parks have armed military trained angers protecting the elephants. Poaching is viewed as a “war” against poachers by rangers, therefore rangers have the power to kill anyone spotted in the parks without permission. This has lead to death of many poachers who were just trying to make ends meet for their families (Lunstrum 2016). The ivory trade grinds the poor poachers, and rangers trying to protect the elephants, and the criminal syndicates demanding ivory remain