( CNN ) -- Farmers in Tanzania are helping to conserve threatened forests by cultivating an unlikely crop : butterflies . The Amani Butterly Project is one of the schemes using butterfly farming to help locals supplement their incomes and protect the environment at the same time . The brainchild of American biologist Theron Morgan-Brown , it 's based in Tanzania 's East Usambara Mountains -- a region known for its biodiversity , but where forests are being cleared to produce charcoal and to open up farmland . `` The main objective was to find an alternative income for the local community in the surrounding village and forest , and also relieve the pressure on the forest of people cutting timber , '' says project manager Amiri Saidi . The butterfly rearing process starts with farmers catching a few female butterflies and transferring them to an enclosure where they can lay eggs on host plants . The farmers then collect the eggs and when they hatch , the caterpillars that emerge are placed on new plants , which must be regularly replaced to satisfy their voracious appetites . The caterpillars continue to feed until they pupate , and are ready to be transported . Green in vogue at Nigeria Fashion Week . The Amani project has been selling pupae to live butterfly exhibits in the United States and Europe for between $ 1 and $ 2.50 each . Of that sum , 65 % goes directly to the farmers , while another 7 % goes to a community development fund that contributes to projects such as building schools and hospitals . Because most tropical butterflies do n't live for long , exhibits usually order new pupae every two to three weeks . Farmers keep some pupae from each generation , so they rarely need to catch more female butterflies from the wild , although they sometimes catch new male butterflies to maintain genetic diversity in their farms . The project now uses 250 butterfly farmers , more than half of them women , says Saidi . He says the project 's own studies show that because butterfly farmers rely on forests near their communities to provide host plants for their butterfly farms , many farmers now support forest conservation . `` Because butterfly farmers get tangible benefits , they get money , people involved in butterfly farming conserve the area , '' says Saidi . `` They have their own forest area and use the money they are getting for replanting and other activities . '' As well as training its own farmers the Amani project has helped train farmers for a butterfly project on the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar . The Zanzibar Butterfly Centre consists of a netted tropical garden that 's home to hundreds of butterflies , all bred by local farmers . It was created as a tourist attraction , funded by admission fees , and like the Amani project the aim is to help protect the environment . Congo 's erupting volcano boosts tourism . `` A lot of forest is being destroyed in Zanzibar , '' says project manager Rosa Santilli . `` Local people cut down trees to make charcoal to sell . People need it for fuel because gas and electricity is very expensive , so people cook with charcoal . `` The center was set up to stop local people cutting the forest down , and to provide an alternative for them to earn money from . '' Santili says the center has trained 17 local farmers to rear the pupae that provide all the center 's butterflies . It 's not a solution to deforestation , but it is helping , says Santili . `` The butterfly farmers do n't make charcoal anymore , so it has stopped that small sector of the community cutting down trees , '' she says . Like the Amani project , the Zanzibar center funds a village development association , which is improving the local water supply . It is also trying to get local people to produce crafts and honey to be sold as souvenirs at the center . But there is a cloud on the horizon . Both the Amani and Zanzibar schemes rely on couriers to transport their pupae to overseas buyers , and they say they have been hit by courier DHL 's decision to stop transporting their pupae . Saidi says Amani has been hit especially badly . It now has to transport pupae by air cargo , which dramatically increases their cost to buyers . He says that until the end of 2010 the Amani project was selling a total of 50,000 pupae a year to 13 buyers , but now the project has lost all but one buyer . But DHL says it will be now discussing transport options with both projects , and hopes to find a solution that will let it resume pupae deliveries . The Zanzibar center sees exporting pupae as key to getting more locals trained as butterfly farmers . Santilli says : `` We are hoping to expand to get more farmers involved . We need butterflies for our garden and also to export . If the farmers can export to Europe then the sky 's the limit . ''
American projects training people to farm butterflies . Projects give locals an alternative income and protect forests . Santilli use 50,000 local farmers and sells pupae to live butterfly exhibits . Santili farmers in Tanzania no longer have to cut down trees to sell charcoal .