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MYSORE, INDIA, November 8, 2002: Aromatic sandalwood is on its way to becoming an endangered species thanks to rampant smuggling. With it a long-standing tradition could die, to be replaced by ersatz perfume. Sandalwood has been used by tens of millions across South Asia for centuries. From Myanmar to Maharashtra, its oil and wood have been used in incense, medicinal paste for the skin, ornaments, and as a base for a traditional perfume called attar, hugely popular in the Middle East. The demand for Karnataka sandalwood, the most aromatic and most sought after, is so great that poachers have raided old bungalows in Bangalore with sandalwood trees on their grounds, beating watchmen to death to get at the trees. Sandalwood is grown in small quantities in the Asian Pacific area, but India has a virtual monopoly over production. More then 90 per cent of India’s sandalwood is grown in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. But while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu protect sandalwood and it is illegal to be in possession of more than 20 kg, neighboring Kerala does not. From the tropical jungles of the Kabini catchment, it is just a few kilometers to Kerala, making it easy for smugglers or unscrupulous traders tampering with the terms of their licenses. Sandalwood production has fallen from 4,000 tons per year in the 1960’s to less than 1,000 tons in the 1990’s. True sandalwood oil has virtually disappeared from the international market, and has been replaced by synthetics. Today, the words “classic sandalwood” often seen on incense packages is a misnomer; the base is usually synthetic, with some amount of sandalwood chip shavings. Chairman of Haripriya Agarbathies, R. Vasu, who dominates the huge incense market, said that if a packet of standard incense retailing at about 25 rupees (US$0.53), were to contain genuine sandalwood oil, it would be so expensive that nobody would buy it.

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