El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm

What El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm does

El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm is a Costa Rican non-profit conservation project founded in 1995 in Guanacaste, Northwestern Costa Rica, that integrates sustainable butterfly farming with rainforest protection. The operation is headquartered in San José under General Manager Ernesto Rodriguez, with the physical farm and research area comprising 285 hectares in Santa Cecilia — half protected rainforest and half reforested land — acquired progressively across 1995 (86 ha), 2005 (84 ha) and 2009 (94 ha). The farm operates 9 greenhouses that provide predator-free environments with live host plants where butterflies can fly, feed, mate, and lay eggs, enabling careful management of the full lifecycle (egg, caterpillar, pupae, butterfly) for more than 100 species without altering natural wild life cycles.

The product surface spans four interconnected streams. The core offering is live butterfly pupae — including Morpho, Heliconius, Caligo, Siproeta and other species — exported via direct email orders to butterfly gardens and conservatories worldwide, where they function as conservation education ambassadors. The farm aggregates supply from a network of over 80 Costa Rican families in rural developing communities, providing them with market access and sustainable income as a forest-friendly alternative to deforestation. Eco-tourism is delivered as an 8-day 'Discover Costa Rica' itinerary covering oceans, mountains, volcanoes, and rainforest, with the on-site research center also accommodating 10-15 guests for biological research by universities and scientific institutes. A branded gift shop via Spreadshirt adds a small but visible merchandise channel.

The business model is non-profit and mission-aligned: 100% of profits are reinvested into rainforest acquisition, reforestation, research, and preservation. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and direct-to-institution via the company website, organic social (Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn), and word-of-mouth referrals through conservation and academic networks. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and orders are placed by contacting the farm via email. Customers primarily comprise butterfly gardens and conservatories globally (enterprise), universities and scientific institutes (education/research), and eco-tourists (consumer), with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds on record.

Name

El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm

Legal name

El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm

Website

https://elbosquenuevo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm is a Costa Rican non-profit conservation project that breeds and exports over 100 species of butterfly pupae to butterfly gardens worldwide while funding rainforest protection across 285 hectares and supporting a network of 80+ rural producing families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Butterfly Pupae Production

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Insect Farming (Crickets, Mealworms, Black Soldier Fly) (AFAEAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rainforest & Jungle Lodges (THAGAIAD), Agritourism Eco-Lodges & Farm Nature Stays (THAAAHAL)

Keywords

• Butterfly pupae export
• Butterfly farm breeding
• Rainforest conservation
• Eco-tourism services
• Live insect trade

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Butterfly Pupae Sales: Export of butterfly pupae to butterfly gardens and conservatories around the world. The farm offers more than 100 different species. Orders are placed by contacting via email.
2. Ecotourism and Tours: 8-day eco-tours of Costa Rica including visits to rainforest, volcanoes, beaches, and the butterfly farm. The farm also offers lodging accommodations for 10-15 guests in their rustic farmhouse with internet access.
3. Gift Shop Sales: Online gift shop through Spreadshirt offering merchandise.
4. Network of Small Producers: The farm aggregates and sells pupae from over 80 Costa Rican families from rural developing communities. The farm provides market access to these small producers and helps them create better income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

El Bosque Nuevo breeds and exports live butterfly pupae (over 100 species) to butterfly gardens and conservatories worldwide. The farm operates 9 greenhouses on 285 hectares in Santa Cecilia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, aggregating pupae from a network of more than 80 local families. It also runs an 8-day eco-tourism experience and a research center, with 100% of profits directed to rainforest conservation, reforestation, and research.

Product overview

El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm operates as a conservation-focused enterprise offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on butterfly farming, rainforest conservation, and eco-tourism. The core offerings include butterfly pupae sales (over 100 species exported globally), an 8-day Discover Costa Rica ecotour, and research center facilities accommodating up to 15 guests for biological studies. The operation supports a network of over 80 rural families who supply pupae, while 100% of profits fund rainforest acquisition and reforestation efforts. A gift shop provides branded merchandise. The farm spans 285 hectares in Santa Cecilia, Guanacaste, with half protected and half reforested land.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Butterfly Pupae Live butterfly pupae for export to butterfly gardens and conservatories worldwide, with over 100 species available including Morpho, Heliconius, Caligo, Siproeta, Panacea, Colobura, and Agria varieties. Orders are placed via email.
• Discover Costa Rica Ecotour 8-day guided eco-tourism experience in Costa Rica including butterfly greenhouse visits, guided nature hikes, bird watching, and visits to national parks. A minimum of 5 guests is required for particular dates.
• Research Center Facilities A living laboratory providing accommodation for 10-15 guests, supporting biological research with facilities for observing insect specimens, night black-lighting activities, and access to biodiversity-rich rainforest environments in Santa Cecilia, Guanacaste.
• Gift Shop Merchandise store offering branded apparel and gifts supporting the conservation mission, accessible through the Spreadshirt platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 285 hectares of rainforest protected and reforested since 1995 through pupae sales revenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 80+ Costa Rican Rural FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 80 Costa Rican families from developing communities supply pupae to the farm. This partnership has helped create sustainable income and local jobs in rural areas. The farm places and sells their pupae to conservatories worldwide while providing a reliable market and fair income to these small producers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm: UK-based commercial butterfly farm and conservatory that breeds and displays tropical butterflies to the public. Directly comparable as a for-profit butterfly farm combining breeding operations with a public-facing visitor experience.
• Butterfly World: Florida-based butterfly attraction and research park featuring large-scale enclosed gardens and on-site breeding. Comparable as an established commercial butterfly farm combining breeding, conservation, and visitor experiences.
• Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory: Massachusetts conservatory housing thousands of butterflies with associated butterfly garden retail and educational programming. Comparable as a North American butterfly breeding and exhibition operation with a gift shop component.
• Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory: Florida Keys glass-enclosed conservatory showcasing butterflies, birds, and plants, with an educational and retail component. Comparable as a public-facing butterfly conservatory that sources tropical pupae for exhibits.

Broad incumbents

• Ÿnsect: Large-scale French insect farming company producing mealworm protein for feed. Comparable as a commercial insect-rearing operation at industrial scale, though focused on protein rather than conservation/display.
• Protix: Dutch industrial black soldier fly farming operation producing insect protein. Comparable as an established, large-scale insect breeding business operating on a fundamentally different commercial thesis but using similar controlled-environment biology.

Emerging players

• Aspire Food Group: North American cricket farming company producing edible insects for food and feed. Comparable as a commercial insect rearing operation using controlled-environment greenhouse facilities to scale production.
• InnovaFeed: French insect (black soldier fly) protein producer co-located with agribusiness. Comparable as an industrial-scale insect rearing startup applying biotech to controlled breeding at commercial scale.

Regional players

• Lapa Rios Lodge: Boutique eco-lodge in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula combining rainforest conservation, sustainable tourism, and community development. Comparable as a Costa Rica-based conservation-aligned eco-tourism operator with shared mission and customer profile.

Others

• Rainforest Foundation: International NGO focused on rainforest protection and indigenous land rights. Comparable as a thematic ally in rainforest conservation fundraising and communications, though operating via grant/donation rather than commercial revenues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxc_jA0fxMAMryLYGJLY61g
• Facebookfacebook.com/elbosquenuevo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/el-bosque-nuevo
• Xx.com/elbosquenuevo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about El Bosque Nuevo Butterfly Farm