Conservation Visions and FACE Join Forces to Advance Wild Harvest Research Across Europe

New partnership strengthens international efforts to document the contributions of sustainable wild harvest to conservation, food systems, and human well-being

ST. JOHN'S, NL, CANADA, November 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Conservation Visions and the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) have entered into a new partnership to advance the European expansion of the Wild Harvest Initiative^® (WHI), strengthening international efforts to understand and communicate the importance of sustainable wild harvesting to conservation, food security, economies, and society.

The collaboration brings together Conservation Visions’ international leadership in conservation science, sustainable use, and research with FACE’s extensive network of national hunting associations and expertise in European wildlife management. Together, the organizations will advance the collection and analysis of European wild harvest data, building a stronger scientific foundation for understanding how sustainably managed wildlife resources contribute to biodiversity conservation, rural livelihoods, cultural traditions, and human well-being.

Central to the partnership is the Wild Harvest Initiative^®, a pioneering research and communications program examining the economic, social, and ecological significance of wild animal and plant harvesting. Initially established in North America, WHI is expanding internationally to develop the first comprehensive, comparable assessment of wild harvest across multiple global regions. FACE will play an important role in this expansion, facilitating access to European data and supporting the development of a coordinated research effort that recognizes the diverse contributions of hunting and wild harvest across the continent.

“Wild harvesting represents one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring relationships with nature, yet its contributions to contemporary society remain remarkably underrecognized,” said Conservation Visions President Shane Mahoney. “This partnership with FACE will help us bring those contributions into clearer focus, strengthening the scientific foundation for conservation policies that recognize not only the value of wildlife and healthy ecosystems, but also the essential connections between nature and human well-being.”

“Europe’s hunters harvest wild food, manage habitats and monitor wildlife every day, yet the full value of that work is rarely captured in the data that decision-makers rely on,” said FACE President Laurens Hoedemaker. “Bringing the Wild Harvest Initiative^® to Europe will help us measure what sustainable wild harvest contributes to biodiversity, rural economies and healthy, local food. Together with Conservation Visions and our member associations across Europe, we will build the evidence needed for wildlife policies that are practical, science-based and fair to the people who care for nature on the ground.”
Under the agreement, FACE will also join the Wild Harvest Initiative^® Partnership Alliance, strengthening a growing international network committed to advancing scientific understanding, collaboration, and recognition of the many benefits that sustainable wild harvesting provides to people and nature.

Under the agreement, FACE will also join the Wild Harvest Initiative^® Partnership Alliance, strengthening a growing international network committed to advancing scientific understanding, collaboration, and recognition of the many benefits that sustainable wild harvesting provides to people and nature.

About Conservation Visions:
Conservation Visions is a wildlife initiative founded by internationally recognized biologist and conservation advocate, Shane Mahoney. It is dedicated to a world where conservation matters; where biodiversity is safeguarded, including the diversity of human cultural experience; where conservation and citizenship are viewed as inseparable; where a global responsibility to nature is recognized; where the sustainable use of natural resources is safeguarded through knowledge; and where governments make sound decisions concerning conservation and biodiversity, based on scientific and traditional wisdom. To learn more about Conservation Visions and the Wild Harvest Initiative^®, please visit www.conservationvisions.com.

About FACE:
Founded in 1977, FACE – the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation – represents the interests of Europe’s 7 million hunters. Its membership comprises national hunting associations from 37 European countries, together with 6 associate members. FACE promotes sustainable hunting as a tool for conservation and rural development, and works with the EU institutions, international bodies and partners to ensure that wildlife policy is grounded in science and recognises the role of hunters in managing and conserving nature. www.face.eu.

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Amanda Hull
Conservation Visions Inc.
+ +1 709-754-4780
insights@conservationvisions.com
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