Opportunity from our associates at IYRP Zimbabwe: Invitation to the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026) Celebration and Conference Zimbabwe (14–15 May 2026) [08.04.26]
As Zimbabwe joins the global community in celebrating the lived experiences and enduring stewardship of rangelands by pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, the IYRP Zimbabwe Conference Organising Team invites to participate in the IYRP 2026 commemoration and conference convened under the theme: “Regenerating shared landscapes – integrating emergent outcomes from pastoralist lifestyles for prosperity, sovereignty and resilience.”The event is jointly organised by Grazing Concepts, Shangani Holistic, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO-Zimbabwe Office), in partnership with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the National
University of Science and Technology (NUST) through the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Technology. It also builds on initiatives taken across Southern Africa by other organisations, initiatives from the International Livestock Research Institute
(ILRI) and other partners in conservation, agriculture and development.
The program spans 2 days, 14 – 15 May 2026. The first day will comprise a commemorative field event at the Nyozani rangeland regenerating site in Ward 18, Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province, providing an opportunity for direct
engagement with pastoral communities and rangeland landscapes where culturaldishes and lifestyle insights will be shared. The second day will take the form of a conference at the NUST conference in Bulawayo, featuring peer presentations, panel
discussions and structured dialogue among researchers, practitioners, policymakers and business.
The event seeks to stimulate dialogue and raise awareness and advance evidence-based discourse on sustainable and regenerating rangeland management, while highlighting the critical role of pastoral systems in strengthening livelihoods and
resilience. A specific objective is to strengthen and sustain the research–indigenous knowledge nexus for improved rangeland governance and management outcomes.
Key expected outcomes include raising awareness on rangeland stewardship, advocating for protected rangelands for communities and livestock, developing improved rangeland management strategies, and contributing to national and regional discourse, including input towards COP17 deliberations in Mongolia.
We invite your organisation to engage in this initiative. The conference seeks to develop practical strategies and to connect shared landscapes across Zimbabwe and ultimately the African continent. Contributions towards resource mobilisation –
whether financial, technical, or in kind – are welcome to support the successful implementation of this conference and its outcomes and will be acknowledged accordingly.
We look forward to continuing engagement.
The IYRP Zimbabwe Conference Organising Team
Contact: Mupenyu Mberi
+263 71 945 6556
grazingconceptszw@gmail.com
