What major event triggered the nationwide ban on farming and trading bamboo rats in China in 2020?

Answer

Concerns over zoonotic disease transmission (COVID-19 pandemic)

The landscape for farming and selling certain wild meats, including the bamboo rat, experienced an abrupt shift in 2020 following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nationwide regulatory action instituted by the government was a direct response to widespread concerns regarding the potential for zoonotic disease transmission associated with the trade and farming of specific wild animals. This decision prioritized public health and biosecurity measures over the continuation of these established, though niche, culinary and agricultural practices.

What major event triggered the nationwide ban on farming and trading bamboo rats in China in 2020?
foodChinaconsumptionrat