[IYRPsupportgroup] Blog + recording (E, F, S) of AE Fund webinar "Agroecology beyond cultivated landscapes: pastoralist experiences from Africa & Central Asia”

[Ann Waters-Bayer]

Dear all,

The Agroecology Fund recently held a webinar on "Agroecology beyond cultivated landscapes: pastoralist experiences from Africa & Central Asia”. It covered topics such as preserving indigenous livestock breeds (in Kyrgyzstan), safeguarding pastoralists’ land rights and revitalising food systems that are ecologically suitable for drylands and mountainous ecosystems. It pointed to the crucial role of pastoralism in such ecosystems and to the need to integrate pastoralist knowledge into agroecology conversations to be able to foster climate resilience.

An Eastern African perspective was brought by Mali Ole Kaunga, director of IMPACT (Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement & Conflict Transformation) in Kenya, an organisation that works to secure pastoralists' rights, support their land stewardship and fortify community food security. Among other things, he drew attention to the challenge to pastoralism posed by large-scale investments in land for wildlife conservation, tourism and renewable energy development for urban areas, without consultation with local land users.

The displacement of the Maasai in Tanzania (see https://pingosforum.or.tz/speakers-tour-maasai-shall-not-die/ <https://pingosforum.or.tz/speakers-tour-maasai-shall-not-die/>) is one example, the wind parks in northern Kenya another (see https://www.boell.de/en/2022/05/18/pastoralism-and-large-scale-renewable-energy-and-green-hydrogen-projects <https://www.boell.de/en/2022/05/18/pastoralism-and-large-scale-renewable-energy-and-green-hydrogen-projects>).

Ian Scoones from PASTRES <https://pastres.org/> (Pastoralism, Uncertainty & Resilience) highlighted how pastoralism is a form of agroecology in rangeland areas - working with nature, generating sustainability and rooted in local economies. He flagged that the IYRP 2026 <http://www.iyrp.info/> “is an important moment for us all to elaborate an ecological vision for livestock development especially in pastoral areas".  

Key messages from the webinar can be found in this blog by the Agroecology Fund: https://www.agroecologyfund.org/blog/2023/7/5/agroecology-beyond-cultivated-landscapes-pastoralist-experiences-from-africa-and-central-asia <https://www.agroecologyfund.org/blog/2023/7/5/agroecology-beyond-cultivated-landscapes-pastoralist-experiences-from-africa-and-central-asia>

The recording of the webinar can be found on YouTube in English, French and Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPDWyPWm4Q8 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPDWyPWm4Q8> - scroll down to the links to the French and Spanish versions in the description box.

It is well worth watching and listening to.

Cheers,
Ann


Dr Ann Waters-Bayer
Agrecol Association for AgriCulture & Ecology
German Institute for Tropical & Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL)
Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism (CELEP)
International Year of Rangelands & Pastoralists (IYRP2026) Global Coordination Group
E: waters-bayer at web.de / waters-bayer at agrecol.de / a.waters-bayer at ditsl.org
W: www.agrecol.de / www.ditsl.org / www.celep.info /www.iyrp.info

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