Monsanto pledges $4 million to support monarch butterflies
Monsanto, a large and prominent agrochemical company, announced a $4 million pledge set towards saving the monarch butterfly population. Based in St. Louis, Missouri and founded in 1901, Monsanto has truly been a titan of the agriculture business. Receiving vast amounts of criticism from environmentalists for practicing unsafe and unsustainable methods of agricultural production, the allocated funds provide Monsanto with the opportunity to demonstrate initiative and the ability to strive for change.
The University of Guelph is set to receive a portion of a $4 million Monsanto pledge towards saving the monarch butterfly population. U of G’s grant will fund research specific to milkweed restoration.
The announcement of funding set towards restoring the monarch butterfly population comes as a reaction to criticisms placed upon Monsanto’s Roundup, a popular weed and grass-control spray. The introduction of Roundup has coincided with a tremendous decline of the monarch population across the continental U.S., leading environmentalists and scientists to believe that there is a direct correlation. Milkweed plants are essential to the survival and growth of monarch butterflies. By using Roundup, or any other weed-control pesticides, milkweed plants have been detrimentally affected by harmful chemicals.
“Monsanto is committed to preserving and protecting the biodiversity of our planet,” said Brett Begemann, current President and Chief Operating Officer of Monsanto in a news release. “While weed management has been a factor in the decline of milkweed habitat, the agricultural sector can absolutely be part of the solution in restoring it.”
In an effort to support more biodiverse and ecologically sustainable practices, $400,000 of Monsanto’s entire commitment will be given as research grants for organizations and institutions aiming to improve the declining population of monarch butterflies. In the same news release, published on the Monsanto website, the company announced a list of institutions and research foundations that would be receiving a part of the allocated grant.
“We’re proud to collaborate with non-profits, universities, researchers, farmers, and other to find ways to improve and protect monarch habitat across North America, “ said Begemann. “It is clear that sufficient progress cannot be made without action. Monsanto will work alongside others to address this important element of biodiversity.”
The grant received by the University of Guelph will be used towards gaining an understanding of key areas most suitable for milkweed restoration. Through identifying priority areas for milkweed plants to thrive and become restored, the monarch population will have the opportunity to find sufficient nourishment on their migratory paths. Being the only Canadian program to receive a portion of the grant money from Monsanto, the University of Guelph is poised to contribute significantly to the restoration of the monarch butterfly population.