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From Nairobi to Mongolia: Why Young People Must Be Part of the Future of Rangelands
Across global rangelands, livestock move slowly through open landscapes, following rainfall patterns that have shaped ecosystems for generations. To some, these lands appear empty or degraded. But at last week’s GLF Africa 2026 conference in Nairobi, hosted at CIFOR-ICRAF, one message rang clear: rangelands are living systems essential to the future of climate resilience, biodiversity, food security, and soil health.
Held during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), the conference brought together pastoralist leaders, scientists, policymakers, youth advocates, investors, and restoration practitioners from around the world to rethink how rangelands are valued - and who is included in shaping their future.
For young people, the message was impossible to ignore: this conversation belongs to you too.
Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) #Youth4Soil member Lordesturs Gordon attended the conference on behalf of the Coalition, documenting the discussions, experiences, and key themes emerging from the conference through a youth perspective.
Youth at the Center of Soil Health Action: YPARD Engagement at the Nairobi Soil Health Knowledge Exchange
On 27–28 January 2026, young agrifood system leaders from across Eastern and Southern Africa gathered at the CIFOR-ICRAF Campus in Nairobi for the Soil Health Knowledge Exchange Workshop.
The meeting marked the inception of a three-year initiative, Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services to Meet the Global Fertilizer and Soil Health Challenge, implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF in collaboration with the Varda Foundation and supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
The workshop brought together researchers, policymakers, development partners, civil society, private sector actors, and farmer organizations from Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania to explore how soil data and knowledge can be better shared and used to advance sustainable land management, food security, and resilient agrifood systems. Within this diverse multi-stakeholder space, the YPARD played a visible and strategic role in championing youth-centered approaches to soil health action.