For the Milk Mamas at the heart of The Sarara Foundation’s (TFS) flagship Milk to Market Program, conservation and care for the land are lived responsibilities, not imposed obligations.

With their livelihoods and the wellbeing of their communities deeply connected to the milk they provide to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, they are driven by a commitment to nurture the health of their herds and the landscapes they depend on through far-reaching land restoration efforts that benefit people, livestock, and wildlife.

At the twenty-third session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in Panama City, Panama, the side event “Youth Policy Pathways for Land and Food: Advancing Action on Land Degradation Neutrality” brought together young people, technical experts, and partners to explore the interlinkages between food systems and land, and how youth perspectives can help shape more coherent, inclusive, and actionable approaches to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The session was co-hosted by the UNCCD Youth Caucus, World Food Forum (WFF) Global Youth Action Initiative, and Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) Youth4Soil Initiative.