Unlocking the Power of Regenerative Grazing

About the Event

The third event of the Cross-Learning Series hosted by Knowledge for Great Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) will take a close look at rangelands and pastures, the ecological system that dominates the drylands of Africa and strongly supports rural livelihoods and local economies.

Grasslands cover a huge part of the Earth (up to 28%) and hold massive amounts of carbon. When they're managed badly, it damages the climate, biodiversity, and local communities. We're looking at Holistic Grazing Management (HGM), which mimics natural herd movements to make the land healthier, boost biodiversity, and make ranchers and pastoralists more productive and resilient.

Join top rangeland practitioners, insightful experts, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders from across Africa to discuss how to restore Africa's iconic rangelands. You will experience a blend of expert insights and peer-to-peer learning through engaging breakout discussions.

Note: This is an online event with French - English simultaneous translation.

What to Expect

• Understand the problems facing African grasslands
• Learn the basic soil science behind good grazing
• Hear from people actually doing this work
• Get practical insights into HGM and how it helps the land and the people
• See how HGM fits into the Great Green Wall initiatives
• Get a chance to network and share experiences with peers across Africa
• Build on insights from previous K4GGWA Cross-Learning sessions

📅 Program Overview

Key Concepts

• The Problem: Practices like ‘set stocking’ (leaving animals in the same plot for extended periods) degrades the soil - animals overgraze what they like and their manure fertilizes what they don’t. Fences and infrastructure block wildlife migrations.
• Grass Power: Grasses are unique because they grow from the base, so they can survive being grazed, unlike most other plants.
• How Good Grazing Works: If you let the grass rest after grazing, it rebuilds its roots and helps create rich soil. In nature, predators keep the herds moving, forcing this rest.
• Two Effective Strategies:
  • Nomadic Pastoralism: The old-school, effective way that mimics natural migrations.
  • Holistic Grazing Management (HGM) / Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP): This is the modern, farm-scale way. You use small paddocks, graze them quickly, and then give them plenty of rest. This is what helps restore the land.
• Big Deal: Managed grazing is now recognized as important by groups like the FAO and UN, and 2026 is even the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists!

👥 Speakers & Contributors

Who Should Attend

• Livestock and agriculture researchers
• Farmer groups and community leaders
• Policymakers in Great Green Wall countries
• NGOs and rural development practitioners
• Donors and international development partners
• Journalists covering land and food systems