NBA Releases ₹45 Lakh ABS Funds, Boosting Red Sanders Farmers and Biodiversity

To date, the NBA has channelled more than ₹104 crore (USD 11.5 million) to Andhra Pradesh alone, which hosts the world’s largest Red Sanders reserves.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has continued its nationwide Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) initiatives with the latest release of ₹45 lakh (USD 50,000) to farmers in Andhra Pradesh through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board. This latest disbursement pushes India’s total ABS releases to more than ₹143.5 crore (USD 16 million)—a milestone underscoring the country’s growing commitment to biodiversity conservation and equitable community benefits.

This ABS initiative demonstrates the unique economic potential for Red Sanders cultivators. Farmers who legally grow and manage Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) — a globally valued and endemic species — benefit from two complementary income streams:

1. Revenue from the lawful sale of cultivated Red Sanders wood/logs, and

2. ABS-based monetary benefits facilitated under India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002, ensuring fair compensation for sustainable utilisation and resource conservation.

To date, the NBA has channelled more than ₹104 crore (USD 11.5 million) to Andhra Pradesh alone, which hosts the world’s largest Red Sanders reserves. These funds support conservation programmes, protection measures, and direct benefit transfers to cultivators and traditional knowledge holders. An additional ₹15 crore (USD 1.66 million) has been disbursed across several other states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana, demonstrating the expanding reach of India’s ABS ecosystem.

In just the past three months, the NBA has released ₹5.35 crore in ABS funds to over 220 Red Sanders farmers across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. These transfers strengthen the financial resilience of cultivators, incentivising sustainable practices and aligning conservation objectives with local economic development.

The NBA’s ABS framework is central to India’s biodiversity strategy. It ensures:

• Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological resources,

• Sustainable utilisation and long-term species protection,

• Reduction in illegal trade, widely associated with Red Sanders due to its high global value,

• Enhanced community participation in conservation, linking ecological outcomes with real livelihood gains.

By turning conservation into a source of livelihood security, the ABS mechanism positions Red Sanders not merely as a protected species but as an economic and ecological asset capable of supporting rural communities while safeguarding India’s natural heritage.

The NBA continues to strengthen ABS implementation, ensuring that funds flow directly to beneficiaries, thereby enabling conservation activities, scientific research, and socio-economic development. These efforts reinforce India’s leadership in global biodiversity stewardship while preserving Red Sanders for future generations.