Press release CITES CoP20 n\u00b05<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 and 2. Red doussi\u00e9 (<\/strong>Afzelia bipindensis<\/strong><\/i>) and African padauk (<\/strong>Pterocarpus soyauxii<\/strong><\/i>) 1995. Doussie furniture in the TGB\u00a0 2025. The TGB has inspired others: exterior cladding in padauk wood at the Jeanne Chauvin university library in Malakoff, Ile-de-France\u00a0 <\/p>\n 3. Chilean palm (<\/strong>Jubaea chilensis<\/strong><\/i>) Jubaea chilensis<\/em> \u00a9 Nicol\u00e1s Villaseca Merino<\/p><\/div>\n 4. Elephant-foot tree (<\/strong>Beaucarnea glassiana<\/strong><\/i> and<\/strong> Beaucarnea hookeri<\/strong><\/i>) Beaucarnea hookeri<\/em> \u00a9 Pedro N\u00e1jera Quezada<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n 5. Guggul (<\/strong>Commiphora wightii<\/strong><\/i> or <\/strong>Commiphora mukul<\/strong><\/i>) <\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The proposals by Burundi, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo to downgrade their populations of doussi\u00e9 and African padauk from Appendix II were narrowly rejected. For African padauk, the proposal also covered the population of Angola.
\n28 African countries voted in favour of the proposal to downgrade doussie populations from Appendix II and 26 voted in favour of the proposal to downgrade padauk populations from Appendix II. <\/strong>They are supported by T\u00fcrkiye, Russia, South Korea, Qatar, Kuwait and Japan, among others. In the end, the proposals by the 7 African countries were rejected thanks to the 27 countries of the European Union, the United States of America and a minority of African countries. Guinea-Bissau and Kenya voted against the proposal to downgrade doussie populations and Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Uganda and Sudan voted against the proposal to downgrade padauk populations.<\/strong>
\nThe 2<\/strong> species were “launched” on the international market in 1994 and 1995 through their prolific use in the Tr\u00e8s Grande Biblioth\u00e8que (TGB, Very Large Library) in Paris, now known as the Fran\u00e7ois-Mitterrand Library (parquet flooring, veneers, interior concrete cladding for doussi\u00e9, false ceilings for padauk). Faced with market boom and the exploitation of similar species, doussi\u00e9 and padauk were listed in Appendix II at CoP19 in November 2022, with entry into force on February 23, 2023, However, the main range countries quickly requested their downgrading, arguing that the risks of confusion had now been clarified and that “Central African countries are implementing rigorous traceability mechanisms that make it possible to guarantee the origin and identity of the species in trade.” These claims must be taken with caution, given the political, social, tribal and religious tensions affecting many of the proposing countries, the corruption that plagues them all, and the influence of Chinese logging companies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/robindesbois.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Doussie-EhoarnBidault-RobindesBois.png\")
<\/a>Doussi\u00e9 flowers\u00a0\u00a9 Ehoarn Bidault
\nThe mature tree grows up to 40 metres tall with a trunk diameter of 1.5 metres.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\u00a9 David Paul Carr \/ BnF<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>
\u00a9 Pascal Poggi \/ Batirama<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>
\n<\/strong>Chile’s proposal to list the Chilean palm in Appendix I was accepted by consensus. The sap, which is used to make palm honey, and the fruit are used in the food industry and are increasingly exported to Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Ireland and Hong Kong. In France, “these little delicacies are highly prized for their flavour, of course, but also for their rarity and exceptional nutritional value,” enthuses “L’Ile aux \u00e9pices” (Spice Island), which sells them for 16 \u20ac\/100 grams.
\nThe seeds are in demand for the ornamental plant market. A bag of 2 seeds sells for around 13 US$ on the internet. The potential profits from illegal collection and worldwide export are therefore considerable, especially as this palm tree, which is endemic to Chile, is known to withstand to the coldest climates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>The genus Beaucarnea<\/i> has been listed in Appendix II since CoP17 (September-October 2016), with entry into force on January 2, 2017. The proposal by Mexico and Switzerland to add the species Beaucarnea glassiana<\/i> and Beaucarnea hookeri<\/i> to Appendix II was accepted by consensus. The main threats to the genus are habitat loss due to livestock grazing, conversion of land to agricultural crops, fires and seed theft for the international ornamental plant market. Plants of the genus Beaucarnea<\/i> are subject to high-intensity international trade. Between 2016 and 2025, at least 25 million live specimens, 3,500 tonnes of seeds and 1.3 million seeds were exported.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\n<\/strong>The European Union’s proposal to list guggul in Appendix II was rejected (42 votes against, 69 votes in favour and 18 abstentions). Guggul is a perennial shrub occurring in India and Pakistan. The species was categorised as “critically endangered” in the 2015 assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the basis of an estimated global population decline of over 80% over the past three generations (84 years), due to unsustainable harvest compounded by habitat loss and fragmentation. India opposed the proposal, drawing attention to the outdated and incomplete nature of the population assessment data. It emphasises its national ban on the export of wild specimens of Commiphora wightii<\/i>and noted ongoing cultivation efforts within the country.
\n“Commiphora wightii<\/i> is targeted for its oleo-resin, which has been used in Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha traditional systems of medicine as an antiseptic and to treat ailments such as arthritis, rheumatism, high cholesterol and diabetes. However, over the last century, commercial interest in the medicinal properties of this species has resulted in an expansion in both domestic and international markets. The species is exported both in the form of raw gum and as finished products packaged and ready for retail trade, which are available as powders, capsules, and tinctures ” (excerpt from the EU proposal).
\nAmazon and other websites praise the benefits of guggul for lowering cholesterol, eliminating waste stored in the body, and combating rheumatism and prostate dysfunction. The market is vast. Presumed guggul extracts sell for around 20 \u20ac for 100 capsules and 140 \u20ac for 1,000 capsules. International suppliers of guggul provide no information on whether the extracts are wild or cultivated.<\/p>\n<\/a>Screenshot 123gelules.com, November 28, 2025<\/p>\n