Butterfly farming for pro-poor tourismSupporting pro-poor tourism and environmental conservation through butterfly farming



The Zanzibar Butterfly Centre (ZBC) and the proposed Manyara Butterfly Centre are tourist attractions where visitors can see butterflies in botanical gardens. The butterflies are raised by local farmers and sold to ZBC for display or export. Butterflies require an intact ecosystem, creating incentives for the community to manage the local natural environment sustainably. ZBC runs a botanical garden in Zanzibar. It trains local famers in raising butterflies and buys the butterfly pupae from them. The butterflies are then either kept in the botanical garden or exported. ZBC is the first operation of its kind in Tanzania. The success of the existing facility has encouraged the organisation to plan a second, larger butterfly centre near Lake Manyara. This will help to diversify the range of services offered to tourists and improve the incomes of smallholders.
Partners
Zanzibar Butterfly Centre (ZBC) provides technical support, market assistance and equipment to the butterfly farmers.
Butterfly Park (T) Ltd. is a sister company of ZBC and will provide expertise and some financing for the new Manyara Butterfly Centre.
Jozani Environmental Conservation Association (JECA) is a local NGO that works with ZBC to create the necessary ecosystem for raising butterflies.