Sustaining life on land: On how planned grazing can improve rangelands, livelihoods and conservation

More than a quarter of the earth’s land surface is grazed by livestock, but much of it is overgrazed leading to land degradation. Developing alternative grazing strategies is essential if pastoral herders and commercial ranchers are to improve livelihoods while striving to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems…and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”, the aims of Sustainable Development Goal #14. Planned grazing involving rotational grazing and herd bunching can improve rangelands, livestock production, diets and wildlife numbers, but require strong institutions, good governance and subsidized partnerships with landowners.