As COP26 begins, it’s crucial to recognize mobile pastoralism as a pioneer in sustainable livestock production. It supports livelihoods, reduces fossil fuel reliance, and plays a vital role in mitigating the climate crisis. By fostering resilient ecosystems and carbon sequestration, mobile pastoralism is an essential pathway toward achieving global net-zero goals. Supporting this system is…
The 26th round of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Changestarted today to advance climate action. To achieve ‘net zero’, COP26 should consider mobile pastoralism as the pioneer livestock production system to support sustainable livelihoods.
Mobile Pastoralism plays a vital role on the frontline of the climate crisis
The climate crisis is causing serious loss & damage for mobile pastoralists. But this isn’t the only reason why they warrant particular attention. They aren’t just victims but also strong allies whose voices should be heard, playing a vital role on the frontline of the climate crisis.
Hundreds of millions of people depend on mobile pastoralism for their food
Elitist debates on climate & food must differentiate between pastoralism & industrial systems. Drawing conclusions based on assessments of industrial settings not only leads to faulty assumptions but also violates the right to food of hundreds of millions who depend on pastoralism.
Support mobile pastoralism for ending the fossil fuel era
Mobile pastoralism is the livestock production system that requires the least fossil fuel, in contrast to industrial systems that include the costs of fossil-fuel-intensive processing, transport & infrastructure. Support mobile pastoralism for ending the fossil fuel era!
Mobile pastoralism as a tool to tackle climate disasters
Mobile pastoralism not only reduces fossil-fuel-related GHG emissions but also plays an important role in tackling the disasters occurring due to the climate crisis. For instance, mobile grazing in forests is a fundamental tool to reduce the risk & spread of wildfires.
Mobile pastoralism does not add to ‘natural’ methane emissions
Mobile pastoralism making use of grazing-dependent ecosystems is filling the niche of methane-producing wild herbivores. Thus, mobile pastoralism does not add to ‘natural’ methane emissions. Mobile pastoralism preserves the ecosystems co-evolved with already extinct megaherbivores.
Mobile pastoralism is a pathway for securing global net zero
Mobile pastoralism results in low net GHG emissions when the potentials for carbon sequestration in rangelands are considered. Mobile pastoralism as a low carbon footprint production system is one of the viable pathways for securing global net zero.
Mobile pastoralism sustains one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet
Grazed ecosystems are one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, therefore mobile pastoralism must be used as a critical tool in the fight against climate crisis as it maintains carbon-rich soils & sustains these ecosystems with high carbon fixation capacity.
Rangelands may have even higher carbon sequestration than forests
Afforestation of the areas where rangelands are long-established, won’t achieve desired climate mitigation outcomes. Due to their extensive root systems, rangelands may have even higher carbon sequestration potential than trees & are safer from fires as carbon stores.
Mobile pastoralists’ knowledge provides a crucial foundation for responding climate crisis
With their traditional ecological knowledge ensuring attentiveness to environmental variability, shifts & trends, mobile pastoralists provide a crucial foundation in researching & responding to climate crisis & developing context-specific adaptation, and mitigation strategies.
Mobile pastoralism for a climate-neutral circular economy
Mobile pastoralism can play a key role in the transition to the circular economy towards delivering the vision of a just, climate-neutral, resource-efficient and competitive rural & national economies.
Mobile pastoralism avoids food and feed competition
Enough resources are available in the world to support climate-friendly sustainable diets, providing that livestock production is de-intensified again & that food and feed competition is avoided by supporting mobile pastoralism.
Mobile pastoralism for climate-friendly agroecosystems
Supporting mobile pastoralism is a must in order to reintegrate livestock production with nature and to rebuild climate-friendly, resilient and healthy agroecosystems.
Mobile pastoralism as a Retro-Innovative tool for circular economy
Mobile pastoralism should be supported as a ‘Retro-Innovative’ tool for moving towards a circular economy to achieve climate-friendly production & consumption. Scenarios based on any form of intensive systems will result in large increases in the global use of biomass.
Mobile pastoralism for halting high fossil-fuel-related GHG emissions
In order to halt high fossil-fuel-related GHG emissions, soil degradation, air pollution, water contamination and biodiversity loss driven by industrial livestock production and chemical-intensive monocropping destined for animal feed, mobile pastoralism must be supported.
Support mobile pastoralism to achieve climate goals. It’s time to recognize its vital role in sustaining livelihoods and ecosystems while reducing fossil fuel reliance and other inputs of climate crisis.
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