Rangelands and pastoralists: a missing link for sustainable development
Guest blog by Maryam Niamir-Fuller, Global Secretariat of the Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists Welcome to the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists – 2026. The IYRP 2026 came about because the United Nations recognized that rangelands and pastoralists are an issue of global significance. This International Year is not symbolic. It is corrective. The IYRP Global Alliance for Rangelands and Pastoralists has been advocating for a stronger recognition of the value and significance of rangelands and pastoralism, as a production system distinctly different from confined, factory-farmed livestock systems. Over its 10-year journey, the Global Alliance has become a multi-disciplinary network of practitioners and researchers, from anthropologists and economists to veterinarians and range managers, and a multi-stakeholder alliance of pastoralists, scientists, governments and civil society. More than 420 organizations worldwide have pledged their support, a...