Global Landscape Forum Africa 2026: Stewarding Our Rangelands
GLF Africa 2026: Stewarding Our Rangelands brings together policymakers, researchers, practitioners and pastoral communities to spotlight one of the continent’s most vital yet under-recognized ecosystems. Rangelands underpin livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate resilience across Africa, and this convening will focus on actionable pathways to restore, manage and sustainably scale their potential. As a global leader in livestock research for development, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) plays a central role in advancing evidence, innovation and partnerships that connect science to practice. Through its deep engagement in rangeland systems, pastoral livelihoods and climate-smart livestock solutions, ILRI anchors the event’s ambition to translate knowledge into impact at scale.
Prof. Appolinaire Djikeng will be speaking at the opening and closing plenaries of 'GLF Africa 2026: Stewarding Our Rangelands' that aims to bring together over 8,000 global leaders to champion Africa’s rangelands, amplify pastoralist voices and drive innovative solutions for a resilient, community-led future
Welthungerhilfe, Jameel Observatory, ILRI and partners invite you to the Resilient Rangelands Pavilion
The pavilion brings together a thought-provoking and pragmatic set of contributions on practical, locally led, scalable and investment-ready pathways towards more resilient rangelands and more prosperous livelihoods for pastoralists. Drawing from the wider Horn of Africa, speakers will link rangeland ecology, pastoral livelihoods, food systems, markets, and governance systems into a coherent resilience approach.
More information: GLF Africa 2026: Resilient Rangelands Pavilion
Joint pavilion with Jameel Observatory, Welthungerhilfe and partners
The joint pavilion sessions aim to strengthen collaboration among research, policy, private-sector, and pastoral actors, bridging global discourse with local realities and contributing to the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
10:30 - 11:30
Rethinking resilience and investment in drylands
11:45 - 12:45
Making pastoralism work for sustainable and resilient food systems in rangelands
12:00 - 13:00
Healthy rangelands, healthy livestock, healthy people – Integrating rangelands in One Health
12:00 - 13:00
Integrated approaches for rangelands health: Technical solutions and policy engagement
14:15 - 15:15
Shaping Kenya's Camel Centre of Excellence for sustainable impact
15:30 - 16:30
Learning from pastoralism to foster resilience of food systems
15:30 - 16:30
From Participation to Power: Strengthening Community Voices in Rangeland Governance
09:00 - 10:00
How can we make anticipatory action work for pastoralists?
11:45 - 12:45
Drylands of tomorrow
Closed workshop: Rio Changemakers for Africa: Aligning Finance with Local Stewardship
Held as part of GLF Africa 2026, this closed workshop will bring together senior stakeholders shaping the future of land, restoration and pastoral economies on the continent. The conversation will focus on what is needed to better align finance with local stewardship in Africa, including:
• barriers that continue to keep strong projects and suitable finance apart
• features and support required to make a platform like Rio Changemakers useful in practice
• kinds of pathways, partnerships and pipelines needed to move from project visibility to deal flow
10:30
Rio Changemakers for Africa: Aligning Finance with Local Stewardship
This workshop will gather senior stakeholders shaping Africa's land, restoration, and pastoral economies. As finance becomes key to building resilient landscapes, it will focus on how capital reaches African projects and why it often doesn't. Conceptualized by the Global Landscapes Forum and the Government of Luxembourg, Rio Changemakers is an AI-powered, science-based marketplace that connects investors with local climate and biodiversity initiatives. As it enters a crucial design phase, this workshop will test its relevance to African market realities, including deal sizes, tenure systems, risk perceptions, pipeline gaps, and project challenges.
Unlocking finance, investments and livelihoods in rangeland and pastoralist economies
On the closing day of GLF Africa 2026, there is a high-level plenary on Unlocking finance, investments and livelihoods in rangeland and pastoralist economies that will highlight a set of flagship investment cases developed by the International Livestock Research Institute through the STELARR project, with support from the Global Environment Facility and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These cases go beyond theory to show real, investor-ready opportunities in sustainable livestock systems, nature-based businesses, and climate-friendly value chains. They demonstrate how rangelands can deliver measurable benefits for livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
Framed as a link between pastoral systems and financial markets, the session will break down how these investment cases are designed to tackle long-standing challenges, such as communal land rights, mobility, and perceived risk, while promoting stewardship, fairness, and long-term ecological benefits. By showcasing these models, the plenary aims to spark new partnerships and funding streams that view pastoralists not just as beneficiaries but as co-investors in resilient, regenerative rangeland economies.
