Forage-based cattle systems play a key role in rural economies of developing countries in terms of food security and poverty alleviation, particularly in tropical Latin America. However, they are often related to being a major cause of negative environmental impacts by contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, and the reduction of biodiversity. Significant resources have been allocated to research and development in forage material improvement, including selection and breeding.

Land degradation is a major obstacle to agricultural development in Africa,
where it’s accentuated by poor agricultural practices and climate change effects.
Restoration of degraded lands is crucial to prevent incursions into virgin and
marginal lands. A field experiment was carried out over a four-year period on
two degraded sites, to assess and compare the effect of the common practices
of: (i) burning crop residues and weeds by resource-poor farmers (T1) and (ii)
burning crop residues and weeds followed with application of manure and/or

In Sub-Sahara Africa agriculture is predominantly rainfed and faces several challenges due to unpredictable weather patterns and distribution that is amplified by climate change. The rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme events contribute to the vulnerability of farmers as well as leading to crop failure, low yields, land degradation among others. These factors compound the difficulties for smallholder farmers, making it more challenging for them to produce adequate food to meet the demands of a growing population.

This presentation focuses on the global actions required to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) through sustainable rangelands and pastoralism, aligning with the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) and its sub-working group on LDN. The challenges and threats to rangelands are outlined, emphasizing the climatic and anthropogenic pressures leading to natural resource degradation, productivity losses, and land-related conflicts.

In southern Africa, conservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted to address low agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and land degradation. However, despite significant experimental evidence on the agronomic and economic benefits of CA and large scale investments by the donor community and national governments, adoption rates among smallholders remain below expectation. The main objective of this research project was thus to investigate why previous efforts and investments to scale CA technologies and practices in southern Africa have not led to widespread adoption.

The CWANA (Central and West Asia and North Africa) region was once considered the birthplace of civilizations and played a significant role in sustaining ancient empires like the Romans through its agricultural productivity. The area is characterized by diverse agroclimatic conditions, which vary across the countries in this extensive region in terms of climate, soil, and topography. Agriculture continues to make a significant contribution to the GDP of many CWANA countries, creating job opportunities and ensuring food security.

When UN member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, we celebrated world leaders’ recognition of the foundational and strategic role that sustainable land management must play to advance climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and maintain sufficient food supplies for us all.