Assessing the palatability of different meats consumed in a biodiversity hotspot to inform alternative protein interventions

Alternative protein interventions are common in conservation. They aim to reduce the hunting or consumption of wildlife by promoting substitutes. However, selecting suitable meat substitutes is challenging because many factors drive wild meat consumption. Palatability, one such factor, drives consumer food preference and is potentially crucial in determining meat substitutability in the context of alternative protein interventions. Nonetheless, there have been few assessments of wild meat palatability compared with other options. We collected data on the meat palatability of 96 animal species via a standardized questionnaire administered to 570 hunters, household members, and wild meat vendors (190 respondents in each group) in southeast Nigeria to examine the potential for wild meat substitution. We found positive correlations in the palatability of different species across pairs of respondent groups, highlighting preference similarities. We did not find a statistically significant difference in the average palatability of domestic meat, fish, invertebrates, or wild meat, suggesting scope for substitution based on palatability. Among mammalian orders, ungulates, carnivores, primates, and rodents had similar palatability, but pangolins (Phataginus sp. and Smutsia gigantea) had higher palatability than all orders except rodents. These findings suggest that substituting wild meat with other types of meat based on palatability might be appropriate, except for pangolins, which can only be suitably substituted with rodents.