The Insect Farming and Trading Agency (IFTA) was set up by the government of Papua New Guinea in 1978 to regulate the exploitation and conservation of Queen Alexandra's Birdwing and other valuable butterflies. Papua New Guinea has a spectacular butterfly fauna, including the world's largest butterflies, the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) and the Goliath Birdwing (Ornithoptera goliath). A
Prior to the establishment of the government legislation, the butterfly trade depended upon expatriate dealers who traded in wild-caught specimens. A Food and Agriculture Organization

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

 project in the early seventies aided the Government in adopting this ecofriendly utilisation scheme.

The IFTA promotes the ecologically sound and sustainable practice of butterfly ranching

Insect farming

Insect farming is the practice of raising insects for agricultural purposes. It can either be used to fight invasive species, to create industrial products such as petroleum or to grow inexpensive and environmentally sustainable food for humans.-See also:...

where free ranging butterflies lay their eggs on foodplants specifically grown for this purpose. Eggs, larvae and pupae are protected and allowed to grow safely to adult stage. A portion of the newly hatched adults are harvested for the insect trade while the rest are released to complement the free-ranging population.

Online resources

• Website of Insect Farming and Trading Agency.