Monarch butterfly populations have declined by over 80% in recent decades due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change, threatening one of nature's most remarkable migrations.
Whether insects experience suffering in a morally significant way remains scientifically uncertain, but the ecological collapse of monarch populations has cascading consequences for ecosystems that support countless vertebrates and other invertebrates. The disappearance of monarchs signals broad pollinator decline that threatens food security and natural ecosystem function. Conservation efforts that restore milkweed and reduce pesticide use benefit the entire web of life these ecosystems support.