Sustainable Butterfly Farming in Sao Tomean Forests

The balmy Islands of Sao Tome and Principe and their surrounding warm waters form distinct ecosystems comprising endemic plants and animal species. The islands may be tiny, but their herbal wealth and biodiversity are incomparable.

One in ten of plant species found on these islands cannot be found anywhere else on the earth. These islands also boast of high number of endemic bird species per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. São Tomé is also home to over 110 species of butterflies, some of which are unique to the islands.

Internationally renowned naturalists, who visit these islands each year for research and conservation efforts, fear that many of these unique species could soon be gone. Although 30 per cent of the island has been declared a protected natural area, it has become increasingly difficult for policy makers to enforce this designation.

Such irreplaceable ecosystems and natural treasures are undoubtedly a rich and unenviable legacy of a unique evolutionary history. But the reality is that Sao Tome and Principe is one of the poorest countries on earth and sadly these unique ecosystems are also key to the livelihoods, well-being and cultural identity of the 200,000 people who live on these islands.

Small-scale farmers and marginalized communities living on the edge of these biodiversity spots, frequently engage in tree felling for firewood, construction, charcoal making; hunting, livestock grazing, human-induced wildfires and farming for survival. Such activities have abused forest resources, destroyed habitats, damaged canopy cover and overall, comprising the biodiversity of these forests.

International organizations like the IFAD and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) are working closely with the Government of Sao Tome to promote environmentally sustainable developmental activities like organic farming. But one project that has gained popularity in recent years is butterfly farming project.

These tropical islands are blessed with a rich diversity of butterfly species. BirdLife International introduced a pilot project in the forests of Sao Tome and Principe, under which local farmers have begun to produce rare species of butterflies like the Charaxes for commercial benefit. Under the project, the farmers produce more than 10,000 butterflies of over twenty species each year that are headed to the export markets in Europe. They cater to the needs of European collectors, especially in France, who exhibit such rare live insects in special enclosures.

The Sao Tomean farmers release part of their captive-bred butterflies back into the wild to ensure their population growth that is sustainable. According to Julie Courret, the Head of BirdLife International, it is important to produce and release more than they collect, to ensure there is no negative impact on the butterfly population in these virgin forests. The underlying expectation of these projects are that more and more local farmers in Sao Tome and Principe, will diversify to include butterfly farming as an extra source of income and lessen their dependence on forest wealth.

The success of such eco-friendly projects also critically hinges on whether the local communities are able to make a decent living, without the need to use firewood for cooking.

Butterfly farming and organic farming projects appeared to have succeeded in some forest communities. They have created additional incomes, while also aiding conservation efforts. Conservative estimates indicate that individual farmers are earning between 1500-2000 euros annually, which according to them, is much more than what they earn from ecologically damaging practices like logging, coal burning, tree felling etc. Another interesting fact is that the butterfly farmers are also growing organic coffee, cocoa and honey, without use of pesticides. In the case of some Sao Tome communities, they have been able to experiment, with help of NGOs, with biomass systems that converts methane from animal waste into cooking gas.

The São Tomé butterfly project has made Sao Tome the latest country to promote butterfly farming. Riding on the success of the butterfly project, conservationists are considering promoting nature-based sustainable businesses such as beetle harvesting, organic honey, medicinal plants, and raw silk to harness the unique floral wealth of Sao Tome’s forests.

Another upside of these projects is that the fringe communities have become more aware and better trained about environment issues. The coordinator of the project expects that the farmers themselves will soon be preserving the island's ecosystem.