The Establishment Project has seen Quintis prepare the 327-hectare site in Kununurra, Western Australia and establish its first new sandalwood plantation in five years. This is the first time Quintis has ever planted on a previously harvested plantation. As part of its sustainable plantation management, there will be more than 150,000 Indian sandalwood seedlings planted and associated host trees on the land.
The new plantation represents an opportunity to further increase Australia’s long-term supply of Indian sandalwood – a species that is endangered in the wild due to decades of illegal poaching and over-harvesting in its native lands – while contributing significant social, economic, and environmental benefits to Australia.
Quintis CEO, Richard Henfrey, said the project reflects the steps Quintis is taking to increase the ethical and legal supply of Indian sandalwood for more formulators to embrace the versatile ingredient in their products.
“As a natural antioxidant, antimicrobial, skin brightening and anti-inflammatory ingredient, Indian sandalwood has been shown to reduce signs of ageing, balance the skin’s microbiome, and reduce the effects of pollution – giving it the opportunity to be used in myriad consumer products globally.
“We are delighted that our plantation estate has recently achieved certification by the Forest Stewardship Council and Responsible Wood, the world’s most trusted and stringent standards for sustainable forest management. Quintis is one of the first sandalwood suppliers to receive FSC accreditation globally and the first in Australia.
“Our goal is to become the world’s most trusted source of ethical and high-quality Indian sandalwood materials. For this reason, sustainability - particularly in reference to plantation management - has always been at the heart of our strategy.”
Quintis General Manager of Forestry, Steve Hindley, said the premium and global recognition of Quintis’ forest management confirms the plantations are being managed in a way that respects local community and preserves biological diversity.
“The way to ensure that Indian sandalwood continues to survive and thrive is to establish plantations and manage them in a sustainable way. Quintis’ Establishment Project is an important moment for the business because sustainable forestry is about the planting, growing, harvesting, and replanting cycle.
“Our forestry team has taken careful steps to nurture these precious seedlings and it is incredibly rewarding to see the plants going into the ground in a carefully managed way, with the seedlings already taking off,” Hindley said.
Henfrey continues, “We remain dedicated to the commitments outlined in our 2021 Sustainability Report to be a global leader in the sustainable supply of Indian sandalwood and will continue to invest in processes and initiatives that support creating a brighter, healthier future for this precious ingredient.
“With a consistent supply long into the future, our vision is to unearth even more benefits of this wellbeing ingredient, sharing its potent healing properties with the fragrance, cosmetics, aromatherapy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine industries.”
Quintis’s Hands on the Future 10-year sustainability plan can be accessed here: https://quintis.com.au/about/sustainability/
