by Julia Caponi
Grade 10 - W.C. Mepham High School (North Bellmore, NY, United States)
Honorable Mention
African elephants have suffered throughout history from human greed; people willing to sacrifice the life of living creatures in order to make a profit. After decades of hunting and poaching, the population of these majestic elephants is dwindling toward extinction. As long as there is a demand for ivory, poachers will scour Africa for tusks to earn their profits, which cannot be harvested without taking the lives of these gentle giants. Conservation efforts and laws banning the trade of ivory have not stopped the poaching of African elephants. More has to be done to stop this vicious cycle before we have a world bereft of elephants.
Before the advent of plastic, ivory was used in popular products such as billiard balls, cutlery handles, piano keys, false teeth, and dominoes1. Even though the sale of ivory is banned in many countries worldwide, the illegal ivory trade is primarily due to the flow of ivory into China. Ivory, like diamonds, is a natural material. Its value lies in the significance it holds to the people who demand ownership of goods made from such material. Sought-after for centuries, ivory still represents power and wealth to the Chinese, which is why it carries a cost of more than $ 1,000 per pound in this eastern country, and because of this, it is in high demand2. Today, most illegal ivory is used for ornamental purposes; statues, jewelry, and engravings are coveted by collectors who value the luster and beauty ivory lends to such works of art. Ironically, the very laws and regulations that protect these animals makes ivory more rare to obtain, increasing its value to those who demand such opulence at any price3.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has led the fight against the international trade of elephant ivory. The African elephant was added to the CITES appendix of elephants threatened with extinction as a result of the ivory trade, first in 1973 and again in 1989. Although the continued ban on the international sale of ivory has been a persistent point of controversy among many African and Asian countries, CITES Parties of Kenya and India have been instrumental in leading the opposition against poaching and the trade of ivory. Countering this ban, several countries in southern Africa, along with support from Japan, have argued that international trade in elephant ivory is economically justifiable4. Although there is little data to measure the effectiveness of the ivory ban in 1989, it is clear little progress was made to the lack of an increase in the population size of African Elephants4.
Along with the active support of other international conservation agencies, such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Born Free Foundation, Care for the Wild International, and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)4, the CITES treaty banning the international trade of elephant ivory demonstrated signs of success, evidenced by the decline in the ivory market. In recent years, the demand for ivory has blossomed and with that, the illegal trade of elephant ivory is on the rise. In the wake of this trend, some conservationists have argued that legalizing the sale of ivory would curb the poaching of elephants5. My firm suggests that this will only fuel the search for ivory tusks. We offer an alternative approach to the decimation of elephant populations through ivory poaching by introducing synthetic ivory produced by 3-D printing into trading markets. Our analysis of market demand and the difficulty in detecting differences between synthetic ivory and elephant ivory both support the proposition that our ‘ivory’ would help sustain the African elephant population, lessening the possibility of extinction.
Based on the recent work with the production of synthetic rhino horns using keratin and 3-D printing introduced by Pembient, a biotech firm based in San Francisco, we believe that we would be able to create a cost-effective replacement for natural elephant ivory. Similar to Pembient’s rhino horns, our goal is to produce 3-D printed elephant ivory that is genetically identical to and with the same luster and feel as African elephant tusks. It is our intent that our product will be undetectable when compared to natural ivory. If we can accomplish this, our research indicates that the market cost of our synthetic ivory would be reduced by almost half, effectively decreased the need to obtain ivory through the poaching of African elephants6.
As biotech researchers with expertise in 3-D printing, we would require assistance from molecular geneticists who could provide us with the genetic sequencing of the African elephant. Our plan starts with altering keratin, a protein that is found in nails, hair, teeth, hooves, and horns, with African elephant DNA to form a powder that can be used to 3-D print synthetic versions of ivory tusks that would rival those produced in nature. Once we had a viable product, we would introduce our synthetic ivory at various points in the supply chain at discounted prices, undercutting poachers selling genuine elephant ivory. It is our contention that as the price for elephant ivory decreases there would less need for poached ivory, reducing the incentives for poachers to hunt the African elephant6.
This strategy would have to be carefully implemented to avoid consumer demand for certification that they are purchasing genuine African ivory1. In addition, we must be careful not to saturate the ivory market at any one point with our synthetic ivory to minimize the chance that poachers start to obtain our product, selling it along with real elephant tusks in order to increase their overall profits or to avoid the legalities of poaching, such as fines up to $120,000 or sentences of 15 years in prison8.
In the selling of our synthetic tusks, we also must take into account the fact that African ivory has played a key role in African and Asian cultures for thousands of years and represents tradition and important social significance. The force that propels those who yearn for ivory is mired deep in antiquity which cannot easily be eliminated with the economics of supply and demand3. We also must respect the culture of the people who demand ivory, respect its significance, and provide a substitute that is not created to dupe them, but to provide an alternative that will satisfy their needs and help direct efforts toward the continued conservation of African elephants. Therefore a large part of our proposal involves education and tactful diplomacy to expose those people enough capital to buy illegal ivory to the ultimate benefits of purchasing ivory that is synthetic but houses the inherent traditional significance of African elephant DNA. We believe this must occur before our product is introduced to the market and is the pivotal point in dismantling the current illegal ivory market and the poaching of African elephants.
Historically, elephants have been an integral part of human life. They are focal points of legend, traditions, symbols of strength, and hold tremendous social significance in a number of cultures. By introducing synthesized ivory, my firm hopes to rebuild the beautiful, symbiotic relationship humans and elephants have shared. We must act and provide alternatives for those traditions by using cutting edge technology to provide a substitute ivory that essentially is as real as the ivory tusks poached from these magnificent creatures. This is our hope, our dream, and one we dare to envision with your help.
References
1Elephant Tusks - Elephant Facts and Information. (2016). Elephant Aid.
Retrieved fromhttp://www.eleaid.com/elephant-information/elephant-tusks/
2Gettleman, J. (2012, Sept.3). Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory
Fuels War and Profits. Africa: New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/world/africa/africas-elephants-are-being-slaughtered-in-poaching-frenzy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=world&src=me&pagewanted=all
3Rosen, R.J. (2012, Sept. 6). What is it About an Elephant’s Tusks That Makes Them So Valuable? The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/what-is-it-about-an-elephants-tusks-that-make-them-so-valuable/262021/
4Stiles, D. (2004). The ivory trade and elephant conservation. Environmental Conservation, 31(4), 309-321.
5Stiles, D. (2015). Only Legal Ivory Can Stop Poaching. Earth Island Journal. Retrieved from http://www. earthisland. org/journal/index. php/eij/article/stiles
6Berke, J. (2016, Sept. 17). A biotech startup is trying to end poaching by 'flooding the market' with fake rhino horns. Science: Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/biotech-startup-trying-to-stop-rhino-poaching-2016-9
7Ward, A. (2015, June 21). Synthetic rhino horns are being 3D printed in an effort to defeat poachers. Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/synthetic-rhino-horns-are-being-3d-printed-in-an-effort-to-defeat-poachers-10334751.html
8Messenger, S. (2013, May 30). Kenya significantly increases fines and jail time for poachers. Treehugger. From http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/kenya-increases-fines-poaching.html