NBA Disburses ₹3 Crore to Farmers Under Biodiversity Benefit-Sharing Scheme

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed ₹3 crore to 199 beneficiaries, covering 198 farmers from Andhra Pradesh cultivators of Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) along with one academic institution, the University of Andhra. The payment, facilitated through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, is part of the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism under the Biological Diversity Act.

This initiative builds earlier benefit-sharing measures by the NBA. Previously, NBA had released ₹48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Forest Departments and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for the protection and conservation of Red Sanders, and ₹55 lakh to farmers in Tamil Nadu. Under the current release, each farmer will receive an amount ranging from ₹33,000 and ₹22 lakh, depending on the quantity of cultivated Red Sanders wood supplied to users.

The beneficiaries are from 48 villages across four districts of Andhra Pradesh: Chittoor, Nellore, Tirupati, and Cuddapah. This reflects that the participation of local farming communities engaged in cultivating and conserving the endemic species.

The initiative originates from the recommendations of the Expert Committee on Red Sanders, formed by the NBA in 2015, which created the Policy titled “Policy for Conservation, Sustainable Use, and Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing Arising from the Utilisation of Red Sanders. Based on these recommendations, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in 2019 relaxed export rules to allow trade of Red Sanders from cultivated sources, promoting legal and sustainable use.

It shows how policy tools like ABS can make biodiversity conservation, a viable livelihood option. to link biodiversity conservation with community livelihoods and ensure equitable sharing of benefits from biological resources.

This benefit-sharing initiative supports the NBA’s commitment to linking biodiversity conservation with livelihood improvement, boosting community participation and ensuring that biodiversity custodians receive their rightful benefits.