Fighting Wildlife Crime with Tech Innovation

Wildlife trafficking is a global crisis: $20B of elephant tusks and other animal parts are illegally traded each year. The profits fuel criminal networks that spread insecurity, devastate species, and destroy livelihoods.

The U.S. Agency for International Development received 300 concepts from 52 countries, under its Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge, a partnership with National Geographic, Smithsonian, and TRAFFIC. Concepts include apps, geospatial systems and animal-mounted sensors at all stages of innovation.

A wildlife expert will moderate a panel where two finalists will demonstrate unique ideas to disrupt trafficking. A Challenge judge will explain the value of these solutions.

Additional Supporting Materials

Questions

1. Why should we care about wildlife trafficking?
2. How is the Challenge sourcing and accelerating ideas to help the fight against wildlife trafficking?
3. How can the SXSW community help advance and scale ideas that will help stop wildlife crime?

Speakers

• Catherine Workman, Biodiversity Specialist, USAID
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• Crawford Allan, Senior Director, TRAFFIC

Organizer

Alicia Grimes, Sr Advisor, USAID