WFEN and CLAWS Conservancy Celebrate First Sale of Certified Wildlife Friendly® Beef in Africa
11th of November 2025 - BOTSWANA & GLOBAL
Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) and CLAWS Conservancy are pleased to announce a major milestone in community-led conservation: the first sale of Certified Wildlife Friendly® beef in Africa, sourced from family farmers in northern Botswana’s Okavango region and purchased by Wilderness, a leading conservation tourism operator in the region.
Left to right: Wilderness Botswana Caretaker MD, Joe Matome; CLAWS Founder & Director, Dr Andrew Stein; and Wilderness Botswana Corporate & External Manager, Tafa Gobe Tafa, celebrate receiving Certified Wildlife Friendly™ certification from the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network.
This achievement demonstrates how market incentives can support coexistence between pastoral communities and large carnivores, and reflects years of collaboration among CLAWS Conservancy, livestock producers in Ngamiland, and Wilderness Botswana to reduce conflict with lions and improve rangeland practices.
“Through this innovative procurement arrangement, Wilderness acts as the exclusive buyer, purchasing beef from local farmers who follow CLAWS’ lion-friendly interventions, including the use of predator-proof bomas, herding-for-health practices, and the avoidance of retaliatory killings when lions approach their villages and livestock. The initiative would not be possible without key partners such as Beef Boys, a Maun based citizen-owned butchery, who provide the link between the remote farmers and Wilderness operations.”
— Wesley Hartmann, Head of Environmental and Conservation Operations at Wilderness Botswana
For more on the milestone announcement from Wilderness, click here.
Coexistence in Practice
Under the Certified Wildlife Friendly® model, participating livestock owners implement herding practices that reduce livestock losses to predators and avoid retaliatory killing of lions. These practices include mobile herding, night corrals adapted for security, and the use of early-warning systems linked to long-term lion monitoring in the area.
“This first Certified Wildlife Friendly® beef sale in Africa marks a significant step forward in demonstrating real, tangible benefits for communities who are coexisting with wildlife. We deeply appreciate the longstanding collaboration between CLAWS, Wilderness, and the herding communities who are central to this success.”
— Christine Lippai, Executive Director, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN)
Farmers taking part in this initiative now have access to a reliable, premium market for beef raised in ways that protect lions and support ecosystem health. Wilderness has committed to purchasing Certified Wildlife Friendly® beef for use in its Vumbura Plains and Little Vumbura camps, creating a direct value chain between conservation producers and sustainably minded consumers.
Community Benefit and Conservation Impact
The Okavango region hosts one of the last remaining strongholds for lions. Historically, livestock predation has led to severe conflict. However, through coordinated community engagement, conflict-mitigation systems, and a market that rewards conservation stewardship, participating farmers have reported dramatic reductions in livestock loss and an increase in lion presence.
“For years, communities in the Okavango have carried the costs of conserving lions. With a dedicated market and Wildlife Friendly® certification, that stewardship is now being recognized and rewarded. This is coexistence in action, and it is working.”
— Dr. Andrew Stein, Founder and Executive Director, CLAWS Conservancy
This initiative demonstrates that coexistence is possible when rural communities are economically supported in conservation roles.
About Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN)
WFEN supports community-based enterprises that conserve wildlife and habitats through verified production practices that meet its rigorous Certified Wildlife Friendly® standards. WFEN works globally in more than 20 countries across landscapes home to threatened and endangered species.
https://www.wildlifefriendly.org
About CLAWS Conservancy
CLAWS Conservancy is dedicated to improving coexistence between carnivores and communities, using science-based, community-centered approaches to reduce conflict and promote resilient pastoral livelihoods in lion landscapes.
About Wilderness:
Founded over 40 years ago, Wilderness is a world-leading conservation and hospitality company, offering immersive journeys to a range of environments in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Wilderness is part of a global collective working to conserve the world’s iconic unfenced, untamed and unpredictable wilderness areas. With more than 60 exceptional camps and lodges, Wilderness helps protect some 2.2 million hectares (5.4 million acres) of land across its eight African destinations. Its goal – to double that by 2030. Four decades on, the company’s purpose is stronger than ever: To increase the world’s wilderness, together.