AN UPDATE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RANGELANDS AND PASTORALISTS (IYRP)

April 8, 2026

---

What is the IYRP all about?

As you all know, 2026 is the International Year of Rangeland and Pastoralists.   A recent article by Beef Central gives great overview of the opportunities this recognition brings to the rangelands and its people.

The IYRP has developed monthly themes for 2026 (see below), and each month the FAO publishes a summary of the theme from a global perspective as part of its Pastoralist Knowledge Hub newsletter.  In the March newsletter, the focus was on livelihoods and the economic contributions of pastoralism.  This newsletter included a selection of articles highlighting the role of pastoral systems in supporting livelihoods, markets, and sustainable development.  One paper of particular interest is entitled Pastoralism as a Viable Economic System, not a Last Resort.  If you are interested in subscribing to the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub newsletter please visit this link.

Monthly themes for the IYRP

The Australia IYRP Committee needs your help

The Australia Committee for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists are currently seeking volunteers to help coordinate various IYRP projects.  Your help is needed with tasks such as:

• collecting stories about birds, plants and animals,
• writing up stories from pastoralists and producers, or
• setting up a calendar of events

If you are interested in getting involved please contact your state IYRP Australia Committee member.  Their contact details are listed here.

Calendar of Events

The organisers of the IYRP have set up a calendar of events for the year which can be accessed at https://iyrp.info/calendar.

If you or your organization are planning any events or activities that relate to rangelands and/or pastoralism, they can add these directly to the IYRP calendar via the “Suggest an Event” Link on the Calendar page.

Young pastoralists gather in Spain

As part of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026, young pastoralists are gathering in Madrid, Spain from 9th and 10th April, with a field day on the11th. The Madrid Meeting is titled “Young Pastoralists & New Technologies”.

This meeting aims to strengthen international cooperation and promote the recognition of transhumance, as a culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable practice. The focus is on Europe and the Mediterranean, with representation from Africa as well. The Program and Registration details are available here: https://iyrp2026madrid.org/que-es_en.html

Due the time difference, the morning session of the Madrid gathering is in the late afternoon and evening AEST.  If you wish to attend, please register, and you will receive the link for participation via live streaming.  Please note that the field day will not be livestreamed.

The outcomes of the Young Pastoralists meeting will be presented to the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 17) will be held from August 17–28, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; and will help guide the direction of international policy and activities on rangelands and pastoralists over the next few years.

Young people can help inform global policy

As part of the IYRP, the World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Assembly is currently conducting a global survey to capture the perspectives, priorities, and experiences of:

• young pastoralists,
• youth from pastoralist families and communities, and
• youth supporting pastoralist and rangeland communities.

The purpose of this survey is to:

• collect youth-generated evidence on rangeland conditions, land governance, mobility, climate impacts, and livelihood opportunities;
• identify key challenges and solutions for sustainable pastoral systems from the perspectives of young women and youth; and
• inform youth-led policy recommendations for sustainable rangeland management.

The deadline for survey responses is 17 April 2026.