Ejiao is a traditional Chinese medicine made from the collagen extracted from donkey skin. It is a hard gel that can be dissolved in hot water or alcohol to be used in food or drink, or in beauty products such as face creams.
Ejiao is believed to improve blood circulation and is used as a blood tonic, with claims of treating conditions such as anemia, insomnia, reproductive issues, and a dry cough. However, there is limited scientific evidence to support these health claims. Furthermore, there have been concerns about the improper use of ejiao leading to a traditional syndrome of Chinese medicine called "fireness," which refers to hot symptoms in the human body caused by an imbalance of Yin and Yang.
The growing demand for ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine made from donkey skin, has raised ethical and environmental concerns. The annual production of ejiao has increased significantly, with the industry now requiring a minimum of 5.9 million donkey skins to keep up with the demand. This has led to a drastic decline in the donkey population, particularly in China, where the population decreased from 11 million in 1990 to 5.4 million in 2016. As a result, manufacturers are targeting donkeys from Africa to meet the demand for ejiao, leading to decimation of donkey populations and posing risks to local ecosystems.
The ejiao industry has experienced booming sales, with annual sales of ejiao products reaching 53.5 billion yuan (7.43 billion USD) in 2020, up from 19.6 billion yuan (2.72 billion USD) in 2013. This high demand has significantly driven up the price of ejiao, which now sells for around $780 per kilogram in China. The economic impact of this industry has been substantial, but it has come at the cost of ethical and environmental concerns.
Amid the concerns about the impact on the donkey population, efforts are being made to transition the ejiao industry towards more humane and sustainable methods of production. Advocates are promoting the use of cellular agriculture to replace the use of real donkey collagen in ejiao production. This process offers a safer, cleaner, and more humane technology, aiming to end the needless cruelty and devastation associated with the global trade in donkeys for the collagen extracted from their skin.
The potential for cellular agriculture to replace the use of real donkey collagen in ejiao production offers a promising alternative. By manufacturing donkey collagen safely and without cruelty, using a process called cellular agriculture, the ejiao industry could move towards a more sustainable and humane future, reducing the impact on donkey populations and ecosystems.
