New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has continued its series of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) disbursements with the release of Rs 45 lakh (around $50,000) to Red Sanders cultivators in Andhra Pradesh through the State Biodiversity Board, an official said on Friday.

With this disbursement, India’s cumulative ABS releases have now exceeded Rs 143.5 crore (approximately $16 million), the official from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said.

The initiative underscores the economic opportunity available to Red Sanders cultivators, who derive dual income benefits — first, through the lawful sale of cultivated Red Sanders wood and logs, and second, through monetary benefits under the ABS mechanism mandated by the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

The ABS framework directly rewards farmers for conserving and sustainably utilising a globally valued endemic species, the official said in a statement.

So far, the NBA has released over Rs 104 crore (around $11.5 million) to Andhra Pradesh towards Red Sanders conservation, protection and benefit claimers, and more than Rs 15 crore (about $1.66 million) to other states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana.

In the last three months alone, the NBA released ABS funds amounting to Rs 5.35 crore to over 220 Red Sanders farmers from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

The NBA’s ABS framework not only ensures fair and equitable sharing of benefits but also actively promotes sustainable utilisation practices, discouraging illegal trade and over-exploitation, the statement said.

By linking conservation outcomes with tangible bio-economic returns, the ABS framework has transformed Red Sanders from a strictly protected species into a livelihood-supporting asset for farming communities.

The continued efforts of the NBA in facilitating the flow of ABS funds back to beneficiaries are contributing to conservation, scientific research, and the socio-economic development of farmers and local communities.

The NBA continues to work towards conserving Red Sanders for future generations, while supporting livelihoods and reinforcing India’s leadership in global biodiversity conservation efforts.

–IANS

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