We move at least five times a year. If there is a drought or if a rangeland is degraded, we move even more. Both men and women take these decisions.

Rangelands are often portrayed as idyllic panoramas or backdrops in films: alpacas ambling through grassy highlands or bison roaming great plains. These are picturesque scenes, but perhaps abstract concepts. What exactly are these lands and who calls them home? How are these landscapes, the animals that roam them and the people who shepherd them intertwined in one of the earth’s most important ecosystems?

Pastoralists, part of a diverse cultural heritage based on local and indigenous knowledge, raise and herd animals. They also preserve ecosystems throughout the world and play a vital part in feeding millions of the world’s hungry. But are they also the bringers of spring?

Pastoralism can contribute to local economies and food security while integrating into ecosystems by mimicking the behavior of wild herbivores. It is nevertheless widely perceived as ineffective and damaging, making it crucial to recognize its role in biodiversity and the role of pastoralist women. 

Pastoralism, often based on locally adapted breeds, safeguards both animal genetic diversity and the diverse ecosystems they depend on. However, the contribution of pastoral systems and the role of pastoral women in the protection of biodiversity is still often underrecognized. 

The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists to spotlight the vital role that rangelands and pastoralist communities play in sustainable food production, ecosystem stewardship, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

In the pastoral areas of Senegal, water is much more than a vital resource: it structures mobility, shapes coexistence among different users, and contributes to community resilience. It is around this central issue that, between late January and early February 2026, three local restitution and validation workshops were held to review the results of the water tenure assessment in the pastoral sector, under the project “Water and Food Security Initiative for Africa” (IESA – II) implemented by FAO with financial support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

UN designates 2026 as a year to highlight the vital role of rangelands and pastoralists in sustainable food production, ecosystem preservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will host the Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026 on 2 December 2025 at the Sheikh Zayed Centre, FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, in a hybrid format. You...

Pastoralism in the southern highlands of Jaén is something that is being lost and transformed. I remember when I was a child how the herds crossed the towns, even the largest ones, such as Alcalá la Real, and the traffic lived with the animals. Today that is unthinkable.

In 2026, the world will celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), a global observance established by the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution A/RES/76/253) and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The Ye...

In the sun-scorched terrain of Marsabit County, Kenya, where landscapes have long battled the brunt of climate change and degradation, a movement of quiet strength and deep-rooted stewardship is transforming the story—led by women and sustained by their communities.

Nomadic Changpa pastoralists at the high grazing grounds of Ladakh find their yak-related economy in a crisis that is driven by major climatic shifts in their fragile mountainous ecosystems. 

Pastoralists from Kachchh walk great distances in search of grazing lands for their sheep in Gujarat, even as pastures disappear or become inaccessible, and climate patterns get ever more erratic.

Southern Iraq’s marshland, desert and rangeland ecosystems have long supported farming and grazing communities. In ThiQar, the Mesopotamian Marshes have provided water, food, and income for generations, while the arid rangelands of Al Muthanna have sustained pastoralist livelihoods through sea...

The inaugural meeting of the task force for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) and the International Year of Women Farmers, convened by the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL), took place on Friday 5 September, setting an ambitious and collaborative tone for the year ahead. The work of the task force will also shape the next GASL Multistakeholder partnership meeting (MSP) that will also be held in 2026.

Every year on 12 July, we commemorate the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms (SDS), a day that calls for awareness and action against one of the world’s most pervasive yet underrecognized natural phenomena. In the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, the challenge ...

British TV chef and author Si King, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, went to Mongolia to see how the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is working with the government to support herders to adapt to extreme temperatures at both ends of the scale. 

Cashmere – the light, soft and durable fibre that comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats (Capra hircus) – is coveted globally as a luxury fashion and lifestyle item. These goats originate from the Himalayan region of Kashmir, with the word "cashmere" deriving from an anglicization of Kashmir.

Bhutan’s highlands are home to approximately 29,699 yaks (NSB, 2023), and the untapped potential of their wool represents an opportunity for significant economic growth. An estimated USD 35 490 (BTN 2,912,491) could be generated annually from yak fiber if just 50 percent of yaks are harvested for wool. However, the highland communities have struggled with challenges such as insufficient market knowledge, poor yak hair harvesting methods, and inadequate hands-on training, leading to a decrease in interest among herders. These issues have also put Bhutan's rich and unique highland culture at risk.