2024 Work Summary of the Clean Internet for Conophytum Initiative (CIC)

 The Clean Internet for Conophytum initiative (CIC), launched by the Plant Garden Working Committee of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), is a conservation campaign aimed at combating illegal wildlife trade. By targeting the illicit online trade of wild plants, particularly international poaching and illegal succulent trafficking, the initiative strives to protect biodiversity and build a shared future for all life on Earth. Since its inception on March 9, 2023, the campaign has garnered support from the public, conservationists, horticulturalists, and businesses alike.

What is Conophytum?

 

Conophytum refers to a genus of succulents in the Aizoaceae family, native to the arid regions of northwestern South Africa and southwestern Namibia. This genus comprises approximately 280 species, many of which are highly coveted by professional plant collectors due to their unique characteristics. However, these species are challenging to cultivate commercially, making social media platforms a hub for illegal succulent trade. As a result, hundreds of Conophytum species face extinction. Currently, 97% of the species in this genus are listed in one of the three threatened categories on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with 45% categorized as Critically Endangered (CR)—the brink of extinction. On February 23, 2023, Conophytum species were added to Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In response, the Clean Internet for Conophytum campaign was launched in March 2023 to raise public awareness, combat illegal trade, and urge e-commerce platforms and social media to enforce stricter regulations against the sale of wild Conophytum plants.

 

Key Work Highlights

 

1. Promoting the Mainstreaming of Endangered Plant Conservation

Advocacy efforts have enhanced public awareness and mainstreamed biodiversity conservation. A total of 123 articles were published on CBCGDF's media platforms, accumulating over 50 million views. These efforts informed the public about the threats facing wild Conophytum plants, fostering greener consumption habits.

2. Environmental Public Interest Litigation

Months after the launch of CIC, CBCGDF's legal team filed an Environmental Public Interest Litigation against a relavant dealer. On December 21, 2023, CBCGDF received a notice from the Jiangsu High People's Court accepting an environmental public interest lawsuit to protect wild Conophytum. The case aims to support CITES implementation, assist law enforcement in combating wildlife trafficking, and promote biodiversity conservation.

3. Urging E-Commerce Platforms to Address Illegal Trade

Letters were sent to e-commerce platforms such as Xianyu, Tencent, Taobao, Pinduoduo, and eBay, urging them to adopt ecological awareness, remove listings for wild Conophytum, and prevent illegal transactions.

4. Contributing to a Shared Future for All Life

Members of the Clean Internet for Conophytum working group joined the IUCN Task Force on Illegal Succulent Trade, collaborating with international experts to study trafficking routes, global conservation efforts, and the enforcement of international conventions.

5. Scientific Communication & Exhibition

A dedicated section for Conophytum was established in the CBCGDF Science Museum to promote public awareness about endangered plants. The initiative received support from individuals such as Chris Rodgerson, an internationally renowned Conophytum expert, who donated a painting of a rare Conophytum species, Conophytum calculus, based on his fieldwork in South Africa.

6. Supporting a Motion for the 2025 World Conservation Congress (WCC)

The initiative supported a motion concerning the conservation of endangered succulents for the upcoming WCC, further emphasizing its commitment to global biodiversity.

 

Through persistent scientific outreach and the promotion of legal awareness regarding endangered species, the Clean Internet for Conophytum initiative has significantly raised public consciousness about biodiversity protection. It has also driven e-commerce platforms to remove listings for illegally sourced wild Conophytum plants. Public action has had a profound impact; more consumers now inquire about the legality of plant sources, and exhibitors at succulent shows face increased scrutiny over the origins of their collections. These grassroots changes have yielded notable results: by December 2024, experts observed an 80% reduction in the online trade of illegally sourced wild Conophytum plants in China.

 

Under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), collective efforts are essential to conserve biodiversity and build a shared future for all life. As demand for wild Conophytum decreases, the Clean Internet for Conophytum working group plans to expand its focus to other endangered plants and strengthen efforts against the illegal wildlife trade (IWT).

Edited by: Yanjun

Reviewed by: Linda Wong

Contribution

Do you know? We rely on crowd-funding and donations. You have the opportunity to help an international movement to advance biodiversity conservation. Donate TODAY to power up the movement to make it a better world for all life.

Donation(501C3)Paypal: intl@wbag.org

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=2EYYJJZ8CGPLE