It was with great pleasure and gratitude that Dr Jes Hooper, The Civet Project Foundation founder, was invited to speak at a sustainability and wildlife tourism event hosted by Prof Rie Usui at the Asia Pacific University in Japan.
The event, attended by approximately 200 international students and faculty staff saw the screening of our award winning film 'From Rare to Reckless', a talk about the Civet Project Foundation and the making of the film presented by Jes, and a student-led Q&A discussion. Prior to the event, the students had participated in lectures that introduced the ethical issues of wildlife tourism and civet coffee, where they read Dr Hooper's 2022 paper 'Cat-Poo-Chino & Captive Wildlife: Tourist Perceptions of Kopi Luwak Agrotourism'. Speaking on the success of the event, Jes explained:
"This event was such an honour to be part of. Sharing the work of The Civet Project Foundation and our in-situ partners in Vietnam with international students was a great experience. The students were from a variety of disciplines from tourism and leisure studies to marketing and sustainable economics which added a lot of depth to the discussion.
The student's questions were diverse and spoke to an understanding of the complexity involved in advocating for species who hold economic, cultural and ecological significance in their range countries. It was particularly interesting to hear from students who come from regions where civet coffee is produced, to better understand their perspectives of the product and the production process"
Huge thanks go to Professors Rie Usui, Hubert Cheung and faculty TA's for organising and hosting the event, and for sharing the civet's story with their students. Given the breadth of the discussion, we highlight below a range of question and answers from the event:
Q&A highlights
From the acquisition and captivity of civets all the way to production and export, how much does it genuinely cost to maintain a commercial civet coffee business and how much more would it cost for cage free?
A wild civet can typically be purchased for approximately $10USD, whereas captive-born civets are more expensive- therefore there is an economic incentive to wild trapping. The cost to set up and run a farm is dependent on scale and location. Unfortunately there are not yet comprehensive stats on this. However, this is a big piece of the puzzle we are working on with our research.
Are they any actual scientifically proven benefits from consuming the kopi luwak?
None at all. In fact, research has shown kopi luwak has minimal unique characteristics when compared to non-digested coffee or coffee that has been pre-digested by other animals (including humans!)
How can we balance of animal welfare, local welfare and tourism?
That is the precise question! We believe it is through cooperation and positive dialogue that we can collectively improve economic and environmental opportunities for humans whilst safeguarding wildlife. When it comes to coffee tourism, our research has shown that tourists are most interested in seeing how coffee is grown and what it looks like as a fruit. Tourists can become destressed and unsupportive of tourist attractions when they see animals in small cages. We therefore encourage civet coffee tour operators to remove the sale of civet coffee and the display of caged civets from their tours because these elements are not fundamental to the experience of tourists. In fact, many tourists claim that the inclusion of captive wild animals led to a negative tourist experience.
What is the government doing to stop organizations that force feed civets? Unfortunately, it is not illegal to farm civets for coffee in most regions as long as the species are not endangered and the correct permits for their capture and commercial use are acquired. However, breaches occur all the time due to a lack of enforcement and our research has shown that kopi luwak farms are often involved in the trafficking of trade-restricted species.
Even though the process of making civet coffee might seem generally less palatable to people, what is the reason for such a huge popularity among tourists regarding this?
Civet coffee is falsely marketed as an exclusive "once in a lifetime" opportunity and a novelty experience owing to its unusual production process. However, our research has shown that tourists want to see beautiful views and to learn about coffee plants, when they visit civet coffee attractions. Most tourists are unaware of what civet coffee is before visiting the tourist attractions, which means tour operators could stop selling civet coffee without fear of loosing customers.
What are the environmental impacts of civet coffee farming, and how do these affect local ecosystems?
The demand for civets is adding to the demand for hunting, and in many parts of Asia this is done via indiscriminate and cruel snares which dramatically impact biodiversity and wild animal welfare. Once in the farms, the onset of disease is common and civet waste is washed into local water-ways which contaminates the surrounding ecosystems
To what extent do you think the opportunity for photos with civets drives interest in civet coffee tourism? How does this affect civet welfare?
Interestingly, tourists are usually unaware that civet coffee tours will include opportunities to hold the animal, so this is not the reason they visit the facility (most tourists just like coffee). However, many tourists will pay money to pose with a civet because they would like the photo for social media.
Our research has shown that civets suffer for selfies- they experience a great deal of stress when handled, they are nocturnal and so should not be active in the day, and they can also be drugged to make it easier for tourists to pose with them. It is therefore really important that civet-selfies are reported to the social media channels where they are shared, so that this practice is not as commonly promoted.
Are there ways to make civet coffee without harming the civets?
Unfortunately not on a commercial scale, no. There are some reports of wild-collection but these have yet to be substantiated. Civets are very allusive and live high in the canopy of dense forests, finding their poop in the wild can take years of practice and a lot of luck!
How has civet coffee tourism contributed to the local economy in region where it’s popular?
Civet coffee tourism has had the greatest economic impact in Indonesia, where civet coffee tourism is most popular. However, coffee tourism was already established in many sites before civet coffee became popular so many operators could still function without the inclusion of civets
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