​Environmental Issues and Sandalwood

Sandalwood. We all know and love it. But what are the ethical implications of using it?

Sandalwood (Santalum album) has been used in the Far East primarily for health and spiritual applications dating back 3,000 years. It appeared in Vedic texts as early as 500 B.C. and in Sanskrit medicinal texts in 1,000 A.D. Egyptians, Buddhists, Tibetans and Ayurvedic practitioners alike found uses for sandalwood ranging from spiritual practices, to treating respiratory infections and venereal disease to embalming and cosmetics.
 
By the 16thcentury, and thanks to trade routes between the Far East and the West, Sandalwood was also part of the Western pharmacopeia. King Henry III of France was reputed to have used Sandalwood as part of a linen powder to scent his clothes and Catherine de Medici was renowned for seeking out the finest ingredients to use in her perfumes. 
 
In modern times, however, the demand for Sandalwood has grown significantly, thanks to its use not only in Ayurvedic medicines, incense, and essential oils, but also for the cosmetic, perfume and flavoring industries. Traditionally, the main supplier of Santalum album has been India, a region where the plant grows native and boasts a rich historical use.
 
According to research, between 1950 and 1970, an average of 480,000 sandalwood trees were harvested annually in India to meet the demands of trade. By 1974, research indicated that there were only 350,000 sandalwood trees left and the industry was halted. Some explanations for why the tree suddenly became so scarce are that it takes approximately 20 years for a tree to mature, at which point the heart wood and roots can be used to produce an essential oil, shavings and powders, i.e. the entire  tree must be felled. Additionally, the trees are partially parasitic: they require host trees to both receive nutrients from by binding to the roots as well as protection from intense sunlight by the host’s canopy. If new trees and host plants are not promptly re-planted and if harvesting is not staggered in a sustainable way with proper soil maintenance, then it is easy to see how total deforestation and devastation of the Santalum album species occurred. 
 
As a result of these problems, the Santalum album trade was halted/greatly reduced. While other species of Sandalwood were produced or attempts made, none were so successful as the Santalum spicata species native to Australia. 
 
Larger scale production of this species had already begun as early as the 1960’s but really began to pick up steam in the 90’s and 00’s. Santalum spicata has a somewhat different constituency profile from Santalum album, as this graphic from the Tisserand Institute displays: 
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However, as efforts have been made to ensure that the growth and harvest of Sandalwood in Australia does not repeat the destructive patterns witnessed in India, Santalum spicata products are considered generally more ethical and environmentally friendly for consumers. 
 
There are however, some arguments against this. Locals to the Ord River, a region of Western Australia where large Sandalwood plantations exist, fear that such large amounts of arable land have been used for an as of yet unproven crop past the first 20 years. They argue that as the roots of the plant leave deposits in the soil, should the industry fail, it may leave their limited arable land useless for future food crops.
 
Locals have also voiced dismay at the amount of mango crops that were removed to make room for the Sandalwood plantations and cite additional hardship to their local economy. The reason for this is that mango crops required larger numbers of seasonal laborers than the sandalwood plantations and many of the micro economies in the region depended on the backpackers and seasonal labor force for their own businesses. 
 
Lastly, it is worth pointing out that of the two main producers of sandalwood in Australia: Santanol and Quintis, Quintis has recently faced scandal and near bankruptcy after being investigated and found at fault for fraudulent avoidance of export charges. While this may not have immediate environmental impacts, it is worth noting that should Quintis go into administration, Santanol is poised to take ownership and become the single and largest producer in Australia. As the main financial backers for Santanol are a global conglomerate who have been described by Santanol’s Chief Executive Oficer, Remi Clero, as having no difficulties providing stable financial resources to back the company, this may not be in the best interest of the local people or the local environmental standards. 
 
In conclusion, while efforts to produce more environmentally friendly sandalwood products in Australia have been made, the oil remains somewhat contentious and will likely continue to be so in coming years. 
 
 
 
References: 
 
Perfumed the Axe That Laid it Low: The Endangerment of Sandalwood in Southern India
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0019464613515553
(Last accessed 24/4/2018)
 
Santalum Album Oil Rejuvenated
http://tisserandinstitute.org/santalum-album-oil-rejuvenated/
(Last accessed 25/4/2018)
 
Threatened East Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album) Thrives in Australia
https://www.kellyablard.com/sustainability/threatened-east-indian-sandalwood-santalum-album-thrives-in-australia/
(Last accessed 25/4/2018)
 
Environmental Impact of Essential Oils
https://www.dariennewsonline.com/opinion/article/EarthTalk-The-environmental-impact-of-essential-4904614.php
(Last accessed 25/4/2018)
 
Sandalwood Plantations a Disaster for the Ord River
https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/sandalwood-plantations-disaster-ord-river
(Last accessed 25/4/2018)
 
Indian Sandalwood Company Santanol having ‘Year of Acceleration’ and Uneffected by Quintis Drama
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-09-13/indian-sandalwood-company-santanol-unaffected-by-quintis-dramas/8885582
(Last accessed 24/4/2018)
 
Quintis Avoids the Chop: Embattled Sandalwood Company Thrown Life-line by Creditors
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-09-01/quintis-avoids-the-chop-given-lifeline-by-creditors/8851898
(Last accessed 25/4/2018)
 
Soren Aandahl: The American Short-Seller Targeting Quintis
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-03-31/soren-aandahl-american-short-seller-targeting-quintis/8402194
(Last accessed 25/4/2018)
 
The Artifice of Beauty, Pointer, 2005

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