NBA Disburses ₹45 Lakh to Red Sanders Farmers Under ABS Mechanism

Syllabus: Biodiversity Conservation and Access Benefit Sharing

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Why in news?

National Biodiversity Authority released ₹45 lakh to Andhra Pradesh Red Sanders farmers under Access and Benefit Sharing mechanism of Biological Diversity Act 2002. Cumulative ABS releases exceed ₹143.5 crore.

⚛️Static Concepts

Biological Diversity Act 2002Nagoya ProtocolCITES Appendix II

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Prelims-Oriented Points

NBA released ₹45 lakh (USD 50,000) to Red Sanders farmers in Andhra Pradesh through State Biodiversity Board.
Cumulative ABS releases now exceed ₹143.5 crore (USD 16 million); ₹104 crore to Andhra Pradesh alone.
Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is endemic to Andhra Pradesh, highly valued globally.
Farmers receive dual income: lawful sale of cultivated Red Sanders + ABS monetary benefits under BD Act 2002.

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Examiner's Trap: ABS mechanism applies to cultivated Red Sanders as well, not just wild-harvested - promoting legal cultivation as alternative to illegal trade.

Quick Data Points

Disbursement: ₹45 lakh

Cumulative ABS: ₹143.5 crore

AP Share: ₹104 crore

Mains Value Addition

GS-3: Conservation, Environment and Biodiversity

Conservation Economics: ABS framework transforms endangered species from liability to livelihood asset, reducing poaching incentive.
Equitable Sharing: Nagoya Protocol compliance ensures local communities benefit from commercial use of biological resources.
Sustainable Utilization: Cultivation-based approach supports conservation while meeting legitimate market demand.

Source

Press Information Bureau (PIB)

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