In 2026, the spotlight is on women farmers and pastoralism

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

Present on every continent, pastoral livestock systems support the livelihoods of millions of people and play a key role in protecting biodiversity and preserving soil fertility. Far more than a way of life, pastoralism sustains and feeds more than 200 million families worldwide. It is a vital source of economic activity in arid regions where other forms of agriculture are impossible.

Proposed by the Government of Mongolia and backed by around 60 countries, this “International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists” represents a strategic opportunity for the recognition of pastoral systems. It shines a light on their essential role in protecting ecosystems, ensuring food security, building the socio-economic resilience of rural territories facing climate change, and transmitting ancestral knowledge.

CIRAD continues to work actively to promote pastoral practices, with several objectives:

• Increasing recognition of pastoralism as a multifunctional, climate-resilient livestock farming system;
• Improving scientific knowledge on pastoralism to support science-based decision-making;
• Advocating for public support and investment in sustainable pastoralism.

To this end, CIRAD will participate in several events, including:

• The 2026 edition of the Paris International Agricultural Show;
• The 5th edition of the “Milk as a Vector for Development” international conference, 2026, Saly, Senegal;
• UNCCD COP17, 2026, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia;
• The “Africa Forward” Summit, 2026, Nairobi, Kenya.

At the Paris International Agricultural Show, the stand shared by CIRAD and Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency) will put pastoralism in the spotlight, making it the central focus of its 2026 edition. This choice reflects the growing recognition of extensive livestock systems as both a driver of economic dynamism and a vector of cultural identity in many parts of the world.

International Year of the Woman Farmer

2026 will also be the “International Year of the Woman Farmer”. This initiative will highlight the key role played by women in agriculture and food systems worldwide, from production to processing, nutrition and food security. It will be an opportunity to draw attention to their often under-recognised contributions at every stage of value chain, as well as to raise awareness of the persistent inequalities they face. These include unequal access to land and to financing services, along with inequalities in the production of statistics and scientific data. It will also enable exchanges on the work and expertise of CIRAD and its partners on these issues, and encourage the renewal of our approaches taking account of gender relations in agriculture and rural areas.

Finally, the year 2026 will also be an important one for gender issues at CIRAD, with the launch of the “Gender and Science” initiative. This long-term, cross-cutting scientific platform is intended as a space for dialogue, recognition and collective capacity building on how men and women, gender relations and inequalities are addressed by CIRAD and its partners.