This episode of the Weekly Tradecast looks at the illegal wildlife trade with David Vivas, an UNCTAD legal officer working on trade and environmental issues.
Every year, huge numbers of animals and plants are bought and sold illicitly as food, medicine, clothing, furniture and even musical instruments.
Wildlife is big business. The illegal trade is estimated ... Show More
Jul 2025
141. The role of nuclear energy in a sustainable future
As the world moves toward a more sustainable future, nuclear energy is back in the spotlight. While wind and solar power are key to reducing carbon emissions, their intermittent nature presents challenges. Could nuclear energy provide a stable, low-carbon alternative? UN Trade an ... Show More
11m 53s
Jun 2025
139. Rethinking investment: Making money work for development
What is the real value of investment in today’s world? From green energy to public infrastructure, investment has the power to reshape economies and drive meaningful change. But in a world facing climate crises, growing debt, and fragile growth, how can we make sure that capital ... Show More
10m 53s
Jun 2023
Supply, demand, extinction
Back in the 90s, Ivan Lozano Ortega was in charge of Bogota's wildlife rescue center. And he kept getting calls from the airport to come deal with... frogs. Hundreds of brightly colored, poisonous frogs.Ivan had stumbled upon the poisonous frog black market. Tens of thousands of ... Show More
28m 51s
Aug 2021
Cracking Down on Cheetah Traffickers
Cheetahs are in trouble. With just 7,000 left in the wild in Africa, populations have been in a continuous decline due to trophy hunting, habitat loss, retaliatory killings, and dealers looking to sell them to the wealthy. National Geographic editor Rachael Bale shares what she s ... Show More
26m 40s
Apr 2025
Ghana: the real cost of smuggling
Consumer goods, fuel, gold and cocoa are all crossing the border illegally - it's costing the government billions of dollars - so can it be stopped? Ed Butler travels to the northern Ghanaian border with Burkina Faso, and hears from cocoa smugglers who are operating in the region ... Show More
17m 27s