Photo credit: The Sandalwood East African group

The East African sandalwood tree (Osyris lanceolata) is an evergreen shrub species in the Santalaceae family (Orwa,2009). East Africa’s endangered sandalwood tree is being illegally harvested at a rate that could see it becoming extinct. Sandalwood smugglers target the trees for their roots, which contain the highest concentration of valuable oil. Poachers do not merely prune branches or harvest bark; they uproot entire trees, decimating populations at their source. This ruthless extraction method exacerbates the problem, as replanting and regeneration become increasingly difficult. Baringo a region with the highest concentration of sandalwood in Kenya, is now experiencing severe depletion. Despite government efforts to protect this precious resource, sandalwood faces an existential threat, with dire consequences for country’s biodiversity and ecological health. In 2013, CITES declared it a species facing extinction if trade was not controlled. The misuse of this valuable resource is causing a loss of biodiversity and a source of medicine for local communities. The overharvest of sandalwood species has led to many species now being vulnerable, in decline or extinct (Subasinghe, 2013). It does not occur communally in large numbers, which could be attributed to its slow growth and host preference. They mainly grow on unprotected lands, highlighting the importance of community involvement for a sustainable management of the species. It is from this background that the Unfinished Agenda Africa intends to promote the conservation of this species by promoting agroforestry for sandalwood and educating communities about sustainable harvesting and propagation techniques. Additionally, we will address the root causes of illegal logging and trade through awareness campaigns and strengthening community capacity to protect the species. These initiatives include encouraging communities to plant sandalwood saplings in their fields as part of agroforestry systems and promoting coppicing of existing sandalwood plants to facilitate regeneration.