Monarch butterflies, celebrated for their remarkable migration across the continent, are in trouble. This year, the monarch population is by far the lowest ever recorded. A primary cause of this decline is the loss of milkweed plants from our agricultural landscape throughout the Midwest. Milkweeds are a critical component of the breeding habitat for monarchs and the only food source for their young. Unfortunately, the herbicide glyphosate, used on Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) Roundup Ready crops, is decimating milkweeds monarchs depend on.
This new infographic details the correlation between increased use of glyphosate and declining monarch populations in America’s heartland.