Project Title: Plant ‘Poaching’, Criminalisation, and Conservation in the Karoo

The rapid escalation of the illegal plant trade in the Karoo region of South Africa since the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic raised urgent concerns about conservation policy, socio-economic precarity, and the state of the country’s wildlife crime legislation. South Africa is home to over 1600 succulent species, 40% of which are endemic, but the National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) estimates that over 1.5 million plants have been poached since 2020. Illegal harvesting exposes deeper socio-economic issues in the Karoo including poverty, unemployment, corruption, and substance abuse. As the global demand for rare plants rises – driven by an online “plant culture” – the commodification of ornamental succulents fuels biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, leading to decreased climate change resistance. Conservationists and policymakers have implemented several effective anti-poaching strategies in the Karoo that have reduced the number of confiscated plants in recent years, but environmental policy and legislation remain contested. Furthermore, partnerships between environmental protection and market-driven solutions may create new forms of value extraction that cannot ensure the ongoing survival of wild flora. This study examines how the global trade in ornamental plants intersects with socioeconomic issues in the Karoo and potentially leads to criminalisation within Karoo communities. It evaluates whether existing conservation policies and legislation can effectively address large-scale biodiversity loss whilst accounting for the social, cultural, and political complexities of post-apartheid South Africa. The research employs semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and analysis of wildlife crime legislation, whilst situating conservation initiatives within the context of the Anthropocene. This study aims to shed light on the complex intersections of crime and conservation whilst offering insights into how global policy can more effectively safeguard South Africa’s unique floral heritage.