The International Symposium on (Agro)pastoralism in Africa convened from November 12 to 14, 2024, in Saly, Senegal, bringing together 170 participants from various countries. Organized by the Pastoralism and Drylands Pole (PPZS) partnership and the West and Central Africa Regional Support Group for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), the event focused on the theme "(Agro)pastoralism in Africa: Current Dynamics and Perspectives" in preparation for the IYRP in 2026. This gathering marked the second edition of the International Symposium on Pastoralism, following the inaugural event in November 2017.

The opening ceremony of the symposium was co-chaired by Serena Ferrari, president of the symposium and socio-economist researcher at the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), who highlighted the continuous evolution of agropastoralism in Africa, particularly in Senegal. She noted a significant shift towards integrated systems combining agriculture and livestock despite political instability, land development issues, and climate change. Colonel Babacar Ndione, Director of Water and Forests, Hunting, and Soil Conservation, the second co-chair, emphasized the critical role of forests in supporting livestock. He described forests as the "restaurant of livestock" and underscored the necessity of preserving these ecosystems by combating bushfires, excessive logging, and deforestation to maintain adequate grazing resources. He stressed the need for pasture restoration and management to ensure the long-term viability of agropastoralism. They both noted that despite the progress, challenges remain. Land access, political instability, and climate change threaten agropastoral systems' sustainability. Additionally, ensuring access to essential resources like water and pasture is a significant concern, particularly for Senegal's expanding livestock industry.  

Serena Ferrari, a CIRAD socio-economist researcher speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Symposium

Gregorio Velasco-Gil, the global coordinator of the FAO Pastoralist Knowledge Hub, presented a regional study on the economics of (agro)pastoral systems in four countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger which showed the importance of livestock systems in the region. He highlighted that (agro)pastoral systems in these regions sometimes contribute to more than half of the agricultural GDP in the countries and that investments in this sector are unbalanced, as they traditionally reward and target crop production rather than pastoralism. During the symposium, FAO  led a side event focused on camelids to raise awareness of the importance of these animals in the region and as part of the celebration of the International Year of Camelids.

The strength of this second edition is that it touched on a wide variety of themes at the heart of the current dynamics of (agro)pastoralism, such as the economics of (Agro)Pastoralism, the deterioration of the security context and cross-border agropastoral dynamics, pasture and forages, and the management of the commons among others themes. The symposium served as a platform for dialogue among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, addressing the socio-economic, ecological, and climatic challenges facing agropastoral systems and supporting agropastoralism's future in Africa. The focus on knowledge sharing and research holds promise for developing strategies that improve resource access, enhance resilience to climate change, and promote sustainable land management practices. The discussions aimed to strengthen the resilience of pastoral communities and promote sustainable practices in anticipation of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Symposium participants at Niakhar alongside Olivier ROUPSARD, a CIRAD agronomist, to visit the Faidherbia-Flux collaborative observatory