WHAT IS THE AMANI BUTTERFLY PROJECT?

We are a non-profit organization that helps 400 rural Tanzanians from 6 villages in the East Usambara Mountains farm and market native butterflies. The mission of the project is to reduce poverty and create incentive for forest conservation.

The butterfly farmers are represented in the project by an elected board of 12 volunteer butterfly farmers who set the project's prices, policies, and control the dispersal of the project's village development fund (10% of butterfly farmer earnings). The fund is used for projects that benefit the whole community like building schools.

The farmers, more than 50% of whom are women, also control membership in the project. New members are only allowed to join if there is a need for more production. For example, the farmers recently agreed to expand the project by 100 farmers on the condition that the new farmers only produce species which were not already produced in sufficient supply.

Participating butterfly farmers receive about 70% of the project's sales and the other 30% covers the project's staff salaries and operating costs. As sales increase, farmers will receive an even larger percentage.

The Amani Butterfly Project is a project of the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG). TFCG provides technical assistance regarding butterfly farming, marketing, export, financial management, and conservation efforts. To learn more about TFCG and its other projects, follow the link for support at the left of the page.