"Conflicts over Development and Environmental Values: The International Ivory Trade in Zimbabwe's Historical Context"

Hill, Kevin A. “Conflicts over Development and Environmental Values: The International Ivory Trade in Zimbabwe’s Historical Context.” Environment and History 1, no. 3, Zimbabwe special issue (Oct., 1995): 335–349. doi:10.3197/096734095779522528. The international debate over sustainable utilisation of animal species often reaches a fever pitch, especially when Northern and Southern governments and NGOs clash. This paper examines one such clash in its proper historical framework: the recent debate over the international ivory trade. The article outlines Zimbabwe’s pro-ivory trade position, with special attention paid to Zimbabwe’s attempts to transform a local culture which has been hostile to wildlife conservation. Specifically, the paper argues that the majority government was trying, at the time of writing, to transform formally racist Rhodesian preservationist policies into utilisationist policies so that local people could realise some material benefit from the conservation of the African elephant, even in face of fierce opposition from the Western world. All rights reserved. © 1995 The White Horse Press