On Earth Day, COVID-19 a ‘wake-up call’ to reinvigorate nature

Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) senior scientist Herry Purnomo urged urban dwellers to refrain from eating the cuisine of rural communities to keep interactions between wild animals and humans at a minimum and prevent such diseases from spreading in the future.

“When we do damage to nature, nature will find a new balance that humans may not like,” Herry said on Wednesday.

He also advised tightening protocols and certifications to ensure food safety in wild animal consumption but warned that illegal markets might thrive if the wildlife trade was banned outright.