practice of Sandalwood tree-based farming by joint cultivation on a Share and
Prosper basis for reaping the rich benefits, both individually and for the community,
by making efforts in converting unproductive waste lands into productive lands. In
this endeavour the company is trying to interconnect the needs of the nature.
In India, the National Medicinal Plant Board & National Horticultural Mission
are assisting sandalwood cultivation and inter-planting with other medicinal plants
through their State Agencies. There has been a healthy response from private land
owners for commercial cultivation and harvesting of commercially planted sandalwood particularly in Karnataka. Furthermore, many farmers and entrepreneurs
are setting up plantations of Indian Sandalwood in the states of Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Assam on a large commercial scale of some 5000 ha.
The legal hassles created by sandalwood trade regulation results from the fact
that there is no comprehensive regulation applicable to the entire country. Hence,
clandestine trade is flourishing and sandalwood population declining to the extent
that it is on the verge of extinction. Sandalwood is included in the Red List of
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable and sandalwood growing states of India have stated that it faces extinction.
At this point, The Supreme Court of India, in the case of T.N. Godavarman
Thirumalpad Versus Union of India in its writ petition (C) No. 202 of 1995 gave a
milestone judgement. It directed the Central Government to formulate a policy for
conservation of sandalwood including provision for financial reserves for conservation and scientific research for sustainable use of its biological diversity. Central
Government would also formulate rules and regulations under Sects. 3 and 5 of
Environmental Protection Act for effective monitoring, control and regulation of
sandalwood industries and factories to ensure that no imported sandalwood is sold
under the banner of Indian Sandalwood. Even products manufactured from or of
import of sandalwood would be labelled adequately. The State governments were
directed to shut down all unlicensed sandalwood oil factories. Accordingly, legislation similar to the Endangered Species Act, enacted in the United States is proposed. The Endangered Species Act, enacted in the United States protects both
endangered species defined as those “in danger of extinction throughout all or a
significant portion of their range” and “threatened species”, those likely to become
endangered “within a foreseeable time”. The term species includes species and
sub-species of fish, wildlife and plants even though the species as a whole may not
be endangered.
India thus remains competitive in its attempt to grow more sandalwood both
in situ and ex situ by inter plantation methods to bring back its lost glory. It is hoped
that this initiative will meet both domestic and international market demands.
Sandalwood is recognized worldwide as one of the most valuable economically
important commercial tree species. Due to over exploitation from the wild, human
interferences and lack of sufficient plantation establishment, sandalwood resource
declined worldwide.
330
M. Srinivasa Rao et al.
Prosper basis for reaping the rich benefits, both individually and for the community,
by making efforts in converting unproductive waste lands into productive lands. In
this endeavour the company is trying to interconnect the needs of the nature.
In India, the National Medicinal Plant Board & National Horticultural Mission
are assisting sandalwood cultivation and inter-planting with other medicinal plants
through their State Agencies. There has been a healthy response from private land
owners for commercial cultivation and harvesting of commercially planted sandalwood particularly in Karnataka. Furthermore, many farmers and entrepreneurs
are setting up plantations of Indian Sandalwood in the states of Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Assam on a large commercial scale of some 5000 ha.
The legal hassles created by sandalwood trade regulation results from the fact
that there is no comprehensive regulation applicable to the entire country. Hence,
clandestine trade is flourishing and sandalwood population declining to the extent
that it is on the verge of extinction. Sandalwood is included in the Red List of
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable and sandalwood growing states of India have stated that it faces extinction.
At this point, The Supreme Court of India, in the case of T.N. Godavarman
Thirumalpad Versus Union of India in its writ petition (C) No. 202 of 1995 gave a
milestone judgement. It directed the Central Government to formulate a policy for
conservation of sandalwood including provision for financial reserves for conservation and scientific research for sustainable use of its biological diversity. Central
Government would also formulate rules and regulations under Sects. 3 and 5 of
Environmental Protection Act for effective monitoring, control and regulation of
sandalwood industries and factories to ensure that no imported sandalwood is sold
under the banner of Indian Sandalwood. Even products manufactured from or of
import of sandalwood would be labelled adequately. The State governments were
directed to shut down all unlicensed sandalwood oil factories. Accordingly, legislation similar to the Endangered Species Act, enacted in the United States is proposed. The Endangered Species Act, enacted in the United States protects both
endangered species defined as those “in danger of extinction throughout all or a
significant portion of their range” and “threatened species”, those likely to become
endangered “within a foreseeable time”. The term species includes species and
sub-species of fish, wildlife and plants even though the species as a whole may not
be endangered.
India thus remains competitive in its attempt to grow more sandalwood both
in situ and ex situ by inter plantation methods to bring back its lost glory. It is hoped
that this initiative will meet both domestic and international market demands.
Sandalwood is recognized worldwide as one of the most valuable economically
important commercial tree species. Due to over exploitation from the wild, human
interferences and lack of sufficient plantation establishment, sandalwood resource
declined worldwide.
330
M. Srinivasa Rao et al.