The report titled “Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists” was launched in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Key findings
- Rangelands cover 54% of all land; as much as 50% are degraded, imperilling 1/6th of humanity’s food supply, 1/3rd of Earth’s carbon reservoir.
- Currently, rangelands cover 80 million sq km of Earth’s terrestrial surface area (over half of Earth’s land), and are thus the largest land cover or land use type in the world.
- They act as carbon sinks, storehouses of freshwater, and prevent desertification of land. Millions of people worldwide depend on rangelands for food security, and livelihoods.
- Rangelands generate 16% of global food production and 70% of feed for domesticated herbivores, most significantly in Africa and South America.
- In India, rangelands occupy about 1.21 million sq km, from the Thar Desert to Himalayan meadows.
- Nearly 50% of the world’s rangelands can be considered “degraded” and are facing a “silent demise”.
- Livestock production accounts for 19% of Ethiopia’s GDP, and 4% of India’s. In Brazil – which produces 16% of the world’s beef – fully one-third of agribusiness GDP is generated by cattle livestock.
