Johannesburg, 5 June 2023: Conservation International (CI), a non-profit environmental organisation, is working in Southern and Eastern Africa to unlock the potential of rangelands to support economic growth, resilient livelihoods, the availability of freshwater, and biodiversity conservation — while also storing carbon – through its Herding 4 Health (H4H) initiative.
This initiative was established through a partnership between CI, Peace Parks Foundation and Meat Naturally PTY, with the support of various donors and foundations, including Agence Française de Développement (AFD). These partners share the vision of putting herders at the centre of responding to climate change, biodiversity and human well-being goals in Africa’s vast rangelands.
For many years, cattle-rearing communities in Africa, have relied on their livestock as a critical source of nutrition and income. However, these communities have lost market incentives or the means to effectively tend to their animals. Other challenges, such as livestock-wildlife conflict and disease transmission, coupled with land-use changes related to conservation initiatives, have resulted in communities perceiving wildlife negatively. These trends have resulted in a loss of traditional practices leading to land degradation, disease outbreaks and loss of biodiversity.
The H4H community-based, restorative model centres around skills development and deployment, farmer-driven participation, as well as principles for sustainable natural resource management and integrated animal disease control.
“The equation is simple. Better quality cattle can contribute to better quality rangelands; the healthier animals, in turn, fetch higher prices. This results in farmers being able to invest in a better quality of life,” says Corlé Jansen, Pro-nature Enterprises Project Manager for Conservation International.
In rural societies where cattle are both sources of income and wealth generation, poverty cannot be addressed while available grass and water decline and invasive species thrive within an environment where resource competition between livestock and wildlife exists.
“Implementation of planned, climate-smart grazing practices is an important step towards delivering ecosystem, economic, livestock, livelihood, and cultural benefits,” says Jansen. “Building out the value chain linked to rangelands further strengthens the long-term benefits for farmers.”
The H4H model has been successfully tested across all key rangeland ecosystems (semi-arid shrublands, mountain grasslands, and subtropical savannas) and is now being applied to restore and improve the management of rangelands across Africa, supported by site-based investments from international institutions such as AFD.
H4H has specifically seen the development and piloting of training courses for ecorangers, who are essentially professional herders with extra skills, particularly when it comes to strategic herding and the avoidance of overgrazing. Ecorangers are taught skills such as humane livestock handling and management, planning and record keeping, tracking of wildlife that could be harmful to livestock, understanding climate change and rangeland ecology, and much more. These ecorangers become key players in their landscapes and communities, ensuring rangeland regeneration, meeting the needs of livestock and wildlife and improving the livelihoods and resilience of rural communities. In the Mnisi Tribal lands (South Africa), Habu and Eretsha Villages (Botswana) and Simalaha Community Conservancy (Zambia); 119 ecorangers and team leaders are currently supporting the strategic herding of 10 658 cattle within reclaimed and regenerated palatable grasslands.
“AFD’s support for the H4H initiative aligns with its commitment to promoting sustainable development and translates awareness into action when it comes to the holistic understanding of rangelands and the impact of overgrazing,” says Chloé Bertrand, Investment Officer at AFD. “We are proud to partner with Conservation International and support this ambitious initiative which will make a meaningful impact on both people’s lives and the environment.”
About AFD:
AFD Group implements France’s policy in the areas of development and international solidarity. The Group includes Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which finances the public sector and NGOs, as well as research and education in sustainable development; its subsidiary Proparco, which is dedicated to private sector financing; and Expertise France, a technical cooperation agency. The Group finances supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world.
With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South. Our teams are at work on more than 4,000 projects in the field, in the French Overseas Departments and Territories, in 115 countries and in regions in crisis. We strive to protect global public goods – promoting a stable climate, biodiversity, and peace, as well as gender equality, education and healthcare. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and the French people to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Towards a world in common.
Press Contact:
Mantis Communications
Kerry Simpson
Tel: 079 438 3252
Email: [email protected]
