Pastoralism, Social, Gender, and Policy Issues

Nearly half of the Earth\u27s land surface is classified as rangelands. Rangeland\u27s health and productivity are directly critical to the livelihoods, cultures, and resilience of more than 500 million people worldwide, many of whom are indigenous peoples who depend on rangelands. Pastoralism is very diverse; it can be found in all continents, from the drylands of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the highlands of Asia and Latin America, or the tundra in the circumpolar zones, and in particular where crop cultivation is physically limited. Pastoralism supports several hundred million households worldwide and manages one billion animals, including camels, cattle, sheep, goats, yaks, horses, and reindeer, contributing more than 10% of the world\u27s meat production and the large portion of dairy products, wool, leather, handicrafts, and other byproducts. Pastoralism produces food and ecological services and is often the only significant economic contribution in the world\u27s poorest regions, and is the cultural backbone of longstanding civilizations