Sandalwood trees (Santalum spp.) are highly valued for their fragrant heartwood oils, which have been used for centuries for religious and customary purposes. Now sandalwood oil is in demand internationally for cosmetics, aromatherapy, scenting of soaps, perfumery and medicines. The oil-bearing heartwood is also used for ornamental or ceremonial carvings, and powdered for the manufacture of incense joss sticks.
There has been trade in sandalwood in the Pacific region since the 1400s, when Chinese merchants and Arab traders started visiting Timor and surrounding islands. Trade then expanded throughout the region to Hawaii, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Tonga. The sandalwood trade remains an important source of income for many smallholders in the Pacific region, and farmers and industry alike seek to transition from wild harvest to plantation sandalwood.