Rangeland stewardship by pastoralists reveals systemic land-use challenges and climate resilience
Original framing: “FAO: Everything you ever wanted to know about rangelands and pastoralists” — bing news
Indigenous pastoralist communities have developed intricate systems of land management that balance ecological health with animal husbandry. These systems are often dismissed as outdated, but they embody adaptive strategies that have sustained ecosystems for generations.
Pastoralism is not a static relic but a dynamic, adaptive land-use system that has sustained ecosystems for millennia.
Its marginalization in modern land-use discourse reflects deeper power imbalances between industrial agribusiness and indigenous knowledge systems. By integrating pastoralist practices into climate and land-use policies, we can address biodiversity loss, desertification, and food insecurity. Historical land reforms and colonial legacies have systematically undermined these systems, but emerging scientific evidence and cross-cultural examples offer a path toward restoration. To move forward, we must center the voices of pastoralist communities, particularly women and youth, in shaping sustainable land futures.