Blog

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026

We’ve been waiting a long time. International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralism is finally upon us. There’s so many things I’d like to see happen during the course of the year. I’d love for us to talk about rangeland health, thinking about all the great ways that we can protect the soils in our rangeland space.

This goes hand in hand with rangeland protection more broadly, ensuring that our vast, beautiful grasslands are not overwhelmed by urban expansion or irreversible land-use conversion. These landscapes are not empty spaces; they are among our most important climate assets and carbon sinks.

How do we allow carbon farming and other solutions like regenerative practices to repay the people who are protecting our rangelands and making a living off them? And too often we forget about those livelihoods.

The pastoralist community will have their own agenda in this coming year, and I’m so excited to support them in the things that are their priorities. Along the way, I think some of the key things we need to look at are the questions of how we can bring value chains all the way back to our rangelands, whether it’s in fiber, leather, meat, or any of the excellent byproducts you can get from rangelands. The people who are protecting those rangelands and that carbon sink need to have a decent livelihood.

Let’s have a great year.

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026

Robynne Anderson

Robynne has extensive experience in the agriculture and food sector, working throughout the value chain – from basic inputs to farmers in the field to the grocery store shelf. She works internationally in the sector, including speaking at the United Nations on agriculture and food issues, and representing the International Agri-Food Network at the UN.Throughout her career she has worked with farm organisations like the Prairie Oat Growers Association, the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi and the Himalayan Farmers Association, as well as global groups, to further the voice of agriculture in the food debate. She has also worked with Fortune 500 companies growing worldwide businesses to assist them with issues management and strategy decisions.

Related Posts

Back To Top