Wild meat consumption in changing rural landscapes of Indonesian Borneo

1. Wild meat can play a crucial role in the food system of rural communities residing near tropical forests. Yet, socio-ecological changes across tropical landscapes are impacting the patterns and sustainability of meat consumption.

2. To understand the prevalence, frequency and drivers of wild meat, domestic meat and fish consumption in this context, we implemented structured questionnaires across 28 villages in two forested landscapes of Central Kalimantan, a region of Indonesian Borneo characterised by forest-dependent livelihoods.

3.Across the 632 male household heads surveyed, the primary reason for consumption at the species-level was taste, followed by ease of access. Conversely, the main reasons for not consuming wild meat more often were cost and low availability.

4. The frequency of wild meat consumption was relatively low, with most respondents consuming it less than once every 6 months. However, local perceptions of biodiversity change and reported difficulties in accessing wild meat suggest this modest consumption was due to declining availability.

5. Freshwater fish was consumed daily by most respondents, serving as an important animal protein in both landscapes. However, we found a positive association between greater well-being and higher odds of consuming wild meat more frequently. This trend likely reflects disparity in access, with individuals of higher well-being status better positioned to obtain this declining resource.

6. Our findings highlight the multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors concurrently affecting both terrestrial and aquatic animal populations in Central Kalimantan, with significant implications for the sustainability of wild meat and wider food security. There were also regional differences in the frequency, diversity and types of domestic and wild species consumed, underscoring the need to consider socio-demographic diversity when developing wildlife conservation and sustainable food initiatives. Finally, we provide recommendations to work towards sustainable wild meat in these changing rural landscapes.