Yogesh Kochhar

Indian botanist who saved the Himalayan yew from extinction by linking its conservation to cancer drug production

Dr. Yogesh Kochhar (1932–2017) pioneered an ecological-economic model to preserve the Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana), a tree whose bark contains paclitaxel—a compound vital for chemotherapy drugs. His innovative approach reconciled biodiversity conservation with community livelihoods in India's Uttarakhand region.

In the 1990s, overharvesting driven by global demand for paclitaxel pushed the species toward extinction. Kochhar discovered that pruning branches (rather than stripping bark) allowed sustainable extraction. He trained villagers in Taxus cultivation and partnered with pharma companies to ensure fair profit-sharing.

Kochhar's UNEP-recognized model boosted local incomes by 300% while increasing yew populations. He later established the Himalayan Action Research Centre to scale his methods. Despite bureaucratic hurdles, his work influenced India's National Biodiversity Act (2002).

Beyond botany, Kochhar advocated for scientific temper in rural education. His textbooks, translated into regional languages, demystified ecology for mountain communities. By aligning economic incentives with conservation, he demonstrated that environmentalism need not oppose progress—a lesson critical for climate-vulnerable regions today.