The future of pastoralism is under threat. Rangelands, which cover almost half of the world’s terrestrial surface, are degrading due to climate change, biodiversity loss and multiple forms of pollution, largely driven by human activity. Livestock mobility, which is central to this way of life, is increasingly constrained by the appropriation of grazing lands. Young people are leaving pastoral settlements, and traditional knowledge is disappearing. In many countries, pastoralists face economic, legal and political marginalisation: they are denied land rights and are blamed for environmental degradation.

Yet scientific research shows that pastoralism is an important component of the sustainability of global food systems and of biodiversity conservation, thanks to the agroecological practices developed by pastoral societies. Pastoral livestock farming relies on the seasonal availability of natural vegetation, drawing on knowledge and social structures built around herd mobility. Altogether, grasslands and rangelands store almost one third of the world’s soil carbon, and rangelands encompass 67% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. Pastoralism supports the livelihoods of nearly 500 million people worldwide. Although it is difficult to mechanise and has relatively low productivity per animal according to standard assessment frameworks, it is a particularly efficient way of rearing animals and producing meat, fibres, hides and milk in very challenging environments, especially given the limited inputs it requires and the many environmental services it provides, including extensive recycling of natural resources and substantial carbon storage in rangelands.