Butterflies vs. Cartels

The fight to save butterflies' natural habitat from the influence of Mexican cartels

Butterflies vs. Cartels In the state of Michoacán, Mexico, the fight to protect the state's butterfly forests is colliding with a booming avocado trade and a spiralling war for control being waged by the country’s drug cartels.
In Mexico, in the forests of Northeast Michoacán state, the migration of the monarch butterfly occurs each year. It's a natural wonder which draws tourists from around the globe. But as cartels vie for control over the avocado trade, illegal forest clearance threatens the micro-climate on which the monarch butterflies depend. 'Every day. Every day they’re felling trees. It’s all across Michoacán, the whole state', explains one illegal logger. The cartels have been using violent means to establish control of the land: 'It began with kidnapping, extortion, you know… There are charges… charges for the things you own, The Jalisco Cartel is charging avocado growers 50,000 per hectare'. Cartels aren't the only risk to the butterfly forests - climate change and herbicide use is also responsible for dwindling numbers of monarchs. Regardless of the cause, the loss of this natural wonder would spell bad news for the planet: '75% of the food people consume depends on the services of pollinators. It's not just an urgent call to save the monarch butterfly because it’s a pretty sight, but because of the ecological implications', explains conservationist Cesar.
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