Oral Presentation The Institute of Australian Geographers Conference 2023

Wet markets as community infrastructure in Vietnam, Kenya, and the Philippines: Exploring the impact of Covid-19 biosecurity politics and policies (18627)

Cecily Maller 1 2 , Kevin Bardosh 1 2 3 4 , Renzo R Guinto 5 , Salome Bukachi 6 , Hang Minh Tran 7 , Marianne K. Bongcac 5 , Mara Ysabella M. de los Santos4 5 , Caroline M Mburu 6 8 , Jackielyn Abela 9 , David Kelly 1 2
  1. Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
  4. Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
  5. Planetary and Global Health Program, St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine, William H. Quasha Memorial, Quezon City, Philippines
  6. Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  7. Institute of Anthropology,, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
  8. Department of Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
  9. Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines

This paper explores wet markets as key community infrastructure in three countries and how they were affected by global biosecurity politics and policy reform generated in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. With speculation about the seafood market in Wuhan, China as the site of the pandemic’s origin, wet markets were quickly targeted as key sites for biosecurity reform. In 2020, global policy statements promoted bans and reforms to wet markets in Asia and Africa to prevent pandemics. To understand how this response impacted communities reliant on wet markets in these locations we conducted a comparative, exploratory, mixed-method qualitative study in 2021 in Kenya, Vietnam and the Philippines. Our methods included key informant interviews, rapid ethnography with market employees in 15 wet markets, and an analysis of online national policy documents and news articles related to wet markets and the wildlife trade. We report on three narratives that frame the biosecurity of wet markets that can be used to guide future reform and policy responses.

The first narrative concerned human health but questioned global framings about pandemic risk, instead viewing markets as sources for food security rather than disease. A second modernization narrative considered biosecurity as part of broader processes of socio-economic development emphasising infrastructural gaps, spatial arrangements, cleanliness and conflict between reform and economic interests. The third narrative centered on local livelihoods and tensions between local market stakeholders and biosecurity and modernisation efforts. It questioned the appropriateness of regulations and policies due to impacts on communities, while emphasising the importance of preserving cultural heritage.

The paper concludes by arguing wet market biosecurity strategies occur in the context of multiple narratives and governance at the local level is important for enhancing the agency of market stakeholders while supporting livelihoods and food security as part of a pluralistic and democratic politics.