Pastoralists are the managers and users of vast rangeland and mountain areas worldwide. As such, they suffer from and can contribute to land degradation, but they are also the main actors in land rehabilitation. 

Pastoralists have an important role in both climate change mitigation and adaptation. For mitigation, the maintenance and increase of carbon stocks in the world’s rangelands is essential. As regards adaptation, pastoralist livelihoods have adapted for millennia to climatic fluctuations, and their voice is therefore essential in establishing the link between climate change, food security and innovation.

Pastoralism provides a wide variety of ecosystem services, often associated with indigenous breeds that are adapted to local conditions. The valuation of these services offers pastoralists a further gateway for economic improvement and for a greater social recognition.

Key fora in which pastoralists are currently engaged include:

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
• FAO’s Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources,
• The Global Agenda on Sustainable Livestock partnership hosted by FAO,
• The Livestock Environmental Assessment Performance (LEAP) partnership hosted by FAO.
• Pastoralists are also involved in discussions on Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), framed around the “green economy” term.