FAO: 2026 is the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

Rangelands, such as grasslands, savannas, scrublands, deserts, moors or mountains. The steppes of Central Asia, the savannas of Africa, the Alps and Pyrenees in Europe and the Andes in South America, and the prairies in the United States are just a few of the best-known examples. They have unique animal and plant diversity and provide important services such as carbon sequestration and water regulation.

They provide livelihoods and cultural identity for millions of pastoralists and are constantly changing depending on the movements of people and animals.

Pastoralists are important stewards of these landscapes. Around the world, they care for nearly 1 billion animals (sheep, goats, cattle, camelids, yaks, horses, reindeer and buffalo) and contribute to food security, as well as preserving ecosystems, cultural heritage and local, ancient knowledge.

However, these ecosystems are under increasing pressure from drought, floods and other climatic events, as well as from soil degradation, animal diseases and competition for land use, which hinder their mobility and the continuation of their way of life. To give just one example, while grasslands are responsible for 30% of the global soil organic carbon content, an estimated 50% of them are in a degraded state.

FAO Director-General Zhou Tong-yu also spoke at the Rome launch, stressing that the International Year is an opportunity for collective action.

“We must listen to and support women, youth and pastoralists to participate in decisions that affect their rangelands and livelihoods. Their voices are often ignored and their contributions underestimated. We must protect rangelands through responsible management, restoration, investment and adequate support for these people,” said the FAO Director-General.