The butterflies we see flying in butterfly gardens are bred in their countries of origin by local inhabitants, most of whom are farmers with limited financial resources. The plants needed to breed them are native species with no other commercial value, so cultivating them contributes to the conservation and reforestation of these habitats. In addition to providing these populations with a source of income that significantly improves their quality of life, this activity makes a valuable contribution to their environmental education, as it teaches them to recognise, identify and conserve the plant and butterfly species native to their environment. By providing an incentive to preserve and care for the habitat of butterflies, many other species of animals and plants also benefit indirectly from this protection.

Organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund have included these projects in their conservation programmes for countries with high biological diversity but high rates of deforestation. The economic benefits obtained in this way can serve as an example and play an important role in the transition towards sustainable use of the most diverse ecosystems on earth.

Economic benefit = Development = Education = Conservation

Currently there are butterfly farming projects in:

Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Australia.