2026 has been proclaimed by the UN as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, at the initiative of Mongolia and with the support of over 60 countries.

The United Nations General Assembly announced it, and now we’re here: we’ve entered the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralism (IYRP). It all began at the plenary meeting on January 28, 2022, when the proposal, put forward by Mongolia and supported by 60 other member states, to proclaim 2026 as the global year dedicated to this theme was approved.

This decision has put the spotlight on rangelands and, at the same time, on the productive and ecological value of those who manage them. These habitats currently cover approximately 54% of the Earth’s surface (Rangelands Atlas 2021), and herders play a crucial role as custodians.

Led by the FAO, the global campaign aims to restore the centrality of a heritage that is too often overlooked. The goal is clear: to raise awareness that these territories — and the supply chains they support — are indispensable resources not only for food security but also for biodiversity conservation and the planet’s climate resilience.

The ecological role of pastoral systems

Rangelands are an indispensable component of global ecological and economic systems. According to data provided by the FAO, these lands are home to a unique and diverse biodiversity, ranging from grasslands to savannas, from shrublands to deserts, even wetlands and mountainous areas. In these environments, pastoralists manage approximately one billion animals worldwide, raising diverse species such as sheep, goats, cattle, yaks, horses, reindeer, and buffalo.

But the value of these lands goes far beyond what’s visible on the surface. Pastures perform an irreplaceable environmental function, acting as gigantic natural reservoirs: they retain approximately 30% of global soil organic carbon, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and thus helping to curb global warming.

In this context, pastoralists do not limit themselves to managing livestock; they act as true custodians of fundamental ecosystem services, embodying a functional interdependence between biodiversity conservation and the resilience of agro-pastoral systems.

Rangelands feed millions of people around the world

Alongside this climate-regulating function, there is another equally crucial role: sustaining populations. Rangelands feed millions of people around the world, and pastoralism is by no means a marginal activity. According to the Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists, up to 500 million people practice this form of livestock farming, which is present in over 75% of countries and ensures approximately 10% of global meat production, as well as providing essential goods such as milk, wool, and leather.

Guardians of culture

But lands are not just places of production: pastoral communities preserve an invaluable cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge that have helped preserve ecosystems for centuries. As stated on the FAO website, pastoralists raise livestock in balance with nature, guided by local knowledge developed, transmitted, and maintained over millennia. Their practices, such as strategic herd mobility and adaptive grazing, contribute to regenerating vegetation, maintaining healthy soils, water cycles, and wildlife habitats.

A key aspect highlighted by 2026 is the role of women: the IYRP coincides with the International Year of Women in Agriculture. The two celebrations are interconnected, highlighting how women in pastoral communities are fundamental pillars for family resilience, sustainable resource management, global food security, and the preservation of cultural identity.

Why are we losing rangelands?

Despite their vital role, these habitats are facing a profound and often ignored crisis. The FAO and UNCCD are raising a clear alarm: although rangelands cover about half of the Earth’s surface, it is estimated that up to 50% of them are currently degraded. The causes of the decline are multiple and interconnected.

As highlighted by the UNCCD Global Land Outlook, rangelands are victims of a misperception: mistakenly considered “wastelands” or unproductive lands awaiting “development,” they are increasingly being converted into land for industrial agriculture, tree monocultures, energy projects, or urban areas. This conversion, often driven by growing demand for food and resources, fragments the landscape and destroys the age-old ecological balance maintained by rangelands.

Added to the human pressure are the devastating effects of the climate crisis, which destabilise these ecosystems, causing prolonged droughts, flash floods, and the spread of invasive species and animal diseases.

The threat, however, is not only environmental, but also political and social. Pastoral communities often face insecure land tenure and the privatisation of common resources (land grabbing). Furthermore, the fortification of national borders hinders the mobility of herds, which is essential to the survival of the pastoral system.

The result is a vicious cycle: the reduction of accessible lands leads to the overexploitation of remaining resources, which threatens biodiversity and triggers increasingly bitter conflicts over access to water and pastures, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable segments of the population and putting at risk a unique cultural and environmental heritage.

What’s happening in Italy?

According to the latest ISPRA Report on Land Consumption for 2025, Italian pastures, along with arable land, remain among the most vulnerable and subject to transformation. In just one year, between 2023 and 2024, Italy lost 1,891 hectares of pastureland. The causes are multiple: the largest share is absorbed by construction, which alone affected over 1,000 hectares. Adding to this is the dynamics of energy infrastructure, with ground-mounted photovoltaic panels having taken away another 417 hectares of this ecosystem.

Italian pastures also face the invisible but inexorable pressure of climate change. A prime example comes from the Italian Alps. As reported in the case study “Adapting to climate change in the Italian Alps” in the Rangelands Atlas, the retreat of the glaciers and the drastic modification of the rainfall and snow regimes are putting the ancient traditions of transhumance to the test.

In areas like Val Senales (South Tyrol), farmers are now facing unprecedented challenges. Increasingly hot and dry summers are forcing the artificial irrigation of high-altitude pastures to ensure grass for their animals—a practice once unthinkable and a sign of the fragility of the Alpine balance— while sudden and violent weather changes are making the management of flock movements increasingly complex and risky.

But how can we support pastures and shepherds?

A roadmap for change: politics, science, and rights

The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists serves to denounce the threats looming over our world and to chart a course towards concrete and lasting solutions. As outlined by the Global Alliance for the IYRP, 2026 will not be just a symbolic celebration, but an opportunity to implement a global strategy to transform how we perceive and manage these resources radically.

This transformative effort involves enhancing knowledge and promoting synergy between scientific progress and the ancient wisdom of shepherds. Innovation, in this context, does not mean erasing the past, but building strong coalitions that allow traditional practices to respond to contemporary challenges, such as climate change and food security.

On the political level, the initiative aims to influence governments to adopt legislation that actively supports sustainable land management and protects pastoralists, guaranteeing them secure land rights and the freedom of movement of their flocks. Finally, a crucial aspect concerns the economy: the IYRP aims to encourage ethical investments, redirecting financial flows towards projects that respect the environment and local communities.