Exploring Wet Markets Wet Markets Have Come Under Scrutiny Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

editorial Exploring wet markets Wet markets have come under scrutiny amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Calls to ban them may seem like a straightforward component of preventing further pandemics, but controlling zoonotic infections requires a much wider approach. here have been calls from the following previous zoonotic outbreaks, has business. Food systems have social, international political community and been regarded as having a negative cultural economic, health and environmental — Tothers in recent weeks for wet markets impact. The scrutiny wet markets have come even philosophical — domains; as does to be banned. In light of the COVID-19 under due to the risk of zoonosis has eroded zoonosis, and so a technocratic approach pandemic, wet markets have been widely trust in this food source that is deeply to zoonosis through simply regulating or portrayed as hotspots for the transmission of embedded in many traditions and societies. banning wet markets is inadequate. There disease from animals to humans — banning It is argued that in the era of COVID-19, are ample opportunities across the food them seems like a pragmatic decision. There the operational and economic realities of supply chain for infectious agents to make is, however, a rich and growing debate wet markets have been misrepresented. The the leap from animal to human populations. around targeting wet markets as an effective World Health Organization is currently Numerous epidemics and pandemics were means of preventing future zoonotic disease advising that wet markets, when reopening, zoonotic in origin — HIV/AIDS, Ebola, with pandemic potential. operate with much tighter terms of reference Zika, the 2002–2004 outbreak of SARS, ‘Wet markets’ is a collective term for — particularly with respect to improved MERS and, indeed, zoonosis contributes to heterogeneous businesses; the adjective ‘wet’ sanitation, improved regulation, the banning around 70% of human diseases. As the food relates to the water and ice used to keep on sale and trade of wildlife for food, and system encroaches more on natural habitats, product and premises cool and clean. stronger governance. with intensification of food production Most sell vegetables, meat, poultry or fish; However, the calls to ban wet markets and degradation of natural resources, some sell and slaughter live animals; some sell have been very strong and the argument that biodiversity and wild habitats, wild animals wildlife and exotic animals. But the moniker wet markets are prominent in the aetiology and humans operate in closer proximity. ‘wet market’ may have, in recent times, of zoonotic disease is persuasive, particularly They say that good fences make good wrongly become synonymous for many with regard to their representation as neighbours — as we dismantle boundaries with the capture and trade of wildlife, chaos enablers of capture, traffic, trade and of land use and habitats for food production, and even criminality. slaughtering of wild, endangered and exotic how well do we know the neighbourhoods Wet markets support livelihoods, animals. Recent portrayals of wet markets — we are moving into? including those of small producers and wild and domesticated species unnaturally Dialogue about zoonosis must extend farmers. They are an important source of coexisting and slaughtered side-by-side, in far beyond wet markets. Zoonosis is a food food and nutrition for many communities poor conditions of welfare and sanitation — systems issue. Joined-up thinking on food and, importantly, a feature of many culinary certainly support their position as hotspots of access, infrastructure, food security, food cultures. The focus on ‘freshness’ from zoonosis. But, given the diversity of business safety and sanitation, pest control, wild the wet market, and indeed the trusting that occurs in wet markets and the benefits habitat biodiversity, and our relationship relationship between vendor and consumer, that wet markets bring to society, culture, with animals must be addressed. This is deeply valued in many societies (S. Zhong economy and health, that representation requires an interdisciplinary approach, and et al., Agric. Hum. Values 37, 175–185; must be thoroughly explored and understood involves the interests of all sections 2020), though it is perhaps not the norm by the international community. Targeting of society. ❐ for societies more exposed to the ways of activities in wet markets that facilitate modern retail. The reported reduction in zoonosis must be specific and explicit. sales of live animals in wet markets over The COVID-19 pandemic has made Published online: 19 May 2020 recent years, due to tightened regulations food systems and zoonosis everyone’s https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-0090-1 NATURE FOOD | VOL 1 | MAY 2020 | 241 | www.nature.com/natfood 241.

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