USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service last week announced a new $4 million conservation effort to help agricultural producers provide food and habitat for monarch butterflies in the Midwest and southern Great Plains, but BASF is already doing its part in North Carolina.

BASF recently introduced Living Acres, a research initiative focused on improving monarch butterfly habitats in high-production agriculture. The research initiative, which started at the BASF Research Farm in Holly Springs, North Carolina, works to help farmers and other land owners increase biodiversity and develop best practices for establishing and maintaining milkweed plants in non-cropland areas.

Biodiversity is an important part of any ecosystem, and stewardship and sustainability practices play an important role in protecting the land for future generations. BASF is committed to finding and providing solutions for maximizing yields while fostering and supporting biodiversity.

Next year, BASF will expand the research to locations around the U.S., including other BASF research farms and land grant universities. In the future, Living Acres will provide actionable recommendations on where milkweed can be planted to maximize monarch habitat and biodiversity while minimizing strain on crop production.