FAO designates 2026 to highlight vital role of rangelands and pastoralists in global food security

GLOBAL – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026).

Spanning ecosystems such as grasslands, savannas, shrublands, deserts, wetlands, and mountain areas, rangelands cover roughly half of the Earth’s land surface.

These lands support unique biodiversity and provide key environmental services like carbon storage and water regulation.

Pastoralists, who raise livestock such as cattle, goats, camels, buffaloes, reindeer, and more, manage around 1 billion animals globally.

By converting vegetation unsuitable for human consumption into nutritious animal-source foods, they underpin the livelihoods, nutrition, and food security of millions, while preserving cultural heritage and traditional, indigenous knowledge.

Yet rangelands and pastoral systems are under severe pressure: climate extremes (droughts, floods), land degradation, animal diseases and competing land uses are threatening both the landscapes and the mobility-based lifestyle of pastoralists.

It’s estimated that about half of global rangelands are already degraded — undermining their potential for carbon capture, biodiversity, and sustainable production.

In this, FAO will coordinate efforts worldwide with governments, civil society, and private-sector partners to: secure land- and resource-access rights for pastoral communities; expand sustainable rangeland management; restore degraded landscapes; develop equitable value-chains; and invest in animal health, local-breeds conservation, and ecosystem-friendly practices.

“We must listen and empower women, youth, and pastoralist organisations to take part in the decisions that shape their lands and livelihoods. Too often, their voices remain unheard or ignored, and their contributions undervalued.

“We must safeguard rangelands through responsible governance, restoration, and investment and support the people who steward them,” said Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General, while speaking at the launch event.

 The aim is that, through the International Year, global attention and investment will rise — safeguarding rangelands, empowering pastoralists, and ensuring rangelands fulfil their full potential in contributing to global food security, climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable rural livelihoods.

“Throughout this year, FAO will work closely with governments and all partners to advance work on rangelands and pastoralists under the overall objective of the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, better environment, and a better life – leaving no one behind,” he added.

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