changeadminIn less than a month, another tranche of money was released for the conservation of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), an endemic plant species in India.
After 82 lakh were released to the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board in September 2025, the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹55 lakh to farmers of Red Sanders in Tamil Nadu through the State Biodiversity Board.
In a landmark initiative under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework to promote the sustainable use of India’s biological resources, the NBA has released ₹55 lakh to 18 farmers/cultivators of Red Sanders through the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board.
These farmers belong to 8 villages: Kannabhiran Nagar, Kothur, Vembedu, Siruniyum, Goonipalayam, Ammambakkam, Alikuzhi, and Thimmaboopola Puram, all in Tiruvallur District.
This first-of-its-kind benefit-sharing initiative for farmers/ cultivators marks a historic step towards inclusive biodiversity conservation. It builds upon the NBA’s earlier release of ABS shares of ₹48.00 crores to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, the Karnataka Forest Department, and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for the protection and conservation of Red sanders.
This initiative stems from the recommendations of an Expert Committee on Red Sanders constituted by the NBA in 2015. It prepared a comprehensive report titled ‘Policy for Conservation, Sustainable Use and Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing Arising from the Utilisation of Red Sanders’.
One of the key outcomes of the Committee’s recommendations was the 2019 policy relaxation by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) that permitted the export of Red Sanders from cultivated sources. It is a significant boost for farm-based conservation and trade.
Red Sanders, an endemic species of the Eastern Ghats found only in Andhra Pradesh, has ecological, economic, and cultural significance. It is also cultivated in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha and other States.
Promoting cultivated Red Sanders not only supports farmers’ livelihoods but also helps meet growing market demand by providing legally sourced, sustainably grown Red Sanders, thereby reducing pressure on wild populations of the species.
This benefit-sharing model reinforces community participation in conservation while ensuring that those safeguarding biodiversity are duly compensated.
The NBA is committed to linking conservation with livelihoods, strengthening community stewardship, and ensuring that the custodians of biodiversity receive their rightful share of the benefits by safeguarding one of India’s most valued and endemic tree species for future generations.
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