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During the second half of December 2023, nine monarch butterfly colonies in Mexico occupied a total of 0.9 hectares of forest, representing a 59.3% decrease from the 2.21 hectares recorded in 2022. Five colonies (0.273 ha) were located within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, while four (0.627 ha) were outside. The largest colony was found in the San Antonio Albarranes ejido (0.346 ha) and the smallest on Federal Property (0.003 ha).

WWF and Fundación Vida Silvestre are piloting a deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) beef and leather system in Argentina's Santa Fe province. The initiative involves integrating DCF attributes into existing traceability systems, engaging meatpackers and tanneries, and developing a carbon calculator with Blonk Consultants and INTA to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change and cattle rearing. The project aims to meet increasing demand from European markets and explore financial incentives through banks like Banco Nación, with a national rollout evaluation planned for late Q2 2023.

The report examines the environmental and social costs of global food production, specifically the conversion of natural ecosystems into agricultural land. It highlights the role of commodity markets and subsistence farming in driving deforestation and biodiversity loss, while presenting shrimp aquaculture as a potential model for conversion-free production through controlled intensification. The document calls for a collaborative effort between governments, companies, and civil society to implement traceability, regenerative agriculture, and comprehensive land-use planning to secure the planet's ecosystem services.

During the 2024-2025 overwintering season, monarch butterfly colonies in Mexico occupied 4.42 acres of forest, marking a 99% increase from the 2.22 acres recorded in 2023-2024. Eight colonies were identified: three within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) covering 3.01 acres and five outside the MBBR covering 1.42 acres. The largest colony was found in ejido El Rosario, Michoacán (2.46 acres), while the smallest was in San Andrés (0.005 acres).

The report highlights the 'black box' nature of the animal feed industry, where complex supply chains and proprietary formulations mask risks such as deforestation, human rights abuses, and high greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, WWF and Grieg Seafood developed an ESG screen for feed ingredients, initially tested on salmon aquaculture, to standardize data requests and enable 'apples-to-apples' risk comparisons. The tool aims to move the industry toward greater traceability and is intended for expansion into other animal protein sectors like swine and poultry.

Argentina is uniquely positioned to lead the global market in deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) beef due to its existing national traceability systems and strong market position, particularly with China. By integrating its cattle movement monitoring with the Forest Law's satellite-based Early Warning System, Argentina could provide credible DCF exports. This approach would help the country meet Paris Agreement commitments, attract trade finance from European and Chinese markets, and protect critical ecosystems like the Gran Chaco. While challenges include the lack of price premiums for DCF products and the need for an interoperable data platform, the model offers a scalable alternative to fragmented company-led sustainability commitments.

A proof of concept conducted by WWF and partners in Argentina's Santa Fe province successfully traced beef and leather from birth to export, ensuring they were deforestation-free based on a December 31, 2020 cut-off date. The project issued 30 certificates for meat and 22 for leather, facilitating exports to the European Union and China. Alongside this, a carbon calculator was developed to measure cradle-to-export carbon intensity, incorporating land use change and farm-level data. While the system is robust, challenges were identified regarding georeferencing gaps in the SENASA database and the technical difficulty of tracing hides after ear tags are removed. The project led to the creation of the 'Santa Fe Process Verified Program (SFPVLA)' and provides a model for national scaling in Argentina and potential application in Brazil and Paraguay.