Introduction

The Indian Express reported that Namibia had sought India's support to lift the band on ivory trading by inserting a clause in the MOU. This obviously got us thinking, why would Namibia want India's support in the matter? And why does it want the ivory band to go? Well it's a complicated story, so let's take it from the top. Ivory has always been a priced commodity. Early humans used ivory from mammoth tusks to fashion bracelets and figurines. More recent civilizations sourced ivory for its status symbol, religious purposes and good luck. They're also used in luxury items, billiard balls and piano keys. There's a huge demand for ivory, yet you