Exploring rangeland myths in 2026

For much of modern history,  discourses around rangelands and pastoralism have been shaped by a long and well-documented legacy of flawed, incomplete and decontextualised but powerful and enduring stories – myths that have warped the lenses through which pastoralism and rangelands are ‘seen’ and judged by different actors.

Even though paradigms of pastoralist development and rangeland ecology have undergone dramatic shifts in recent decades, rangelands and pastoralist systems remain widely misunderstood and knowledge about them is often contested.

REPAiR and rangeland myths

As part of our engagement with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, REPAiR is convening a series of activities that explore ‘rangeland myths’ in global perspective.

A major aim of the REPAiR project is to contextualise nature-based intervention in communal rangelands in Southern Africa. But context goes beyond specific project settings, intervention landscapes and national policy frameworks and regional histories. It also requires that we consider how places, people, animals and projects are enmeshed in broader understandings, dominant knowledge structures and norms of communication and representation.

Our aim with the rangeland myths initiative is not to ‘debunk’ but rather to explore, disrupt, rethink and galvanise a shift in how we ‘see’ rangelands and pastoralism. We begin with storytelling and dialogue, seeking to create an open and constructively critical space for sharing experiences, learning, reflection and debate, a generative entry-point for rethinking dominant narratives about rangelands – about livestock, pastoralist livelihoods, agrarian change.

Key questions and monthly themes

Building on the rich legacy of cross-disciplinary scholarship and activism that has interrogated and challenged dominant myths about rangelands and pastoralism, we are asking some key questions. Where do rangeland myths come from and how have they evolved? What forms do they take in different places and spaces of debate? How and by whom are they contested? How are myths relevant to rangeland management, restoration and development? What counter-narratives and alternative stories exist, and how can they be amplified?

We will explore these and other questions in a series of monthly engagements around specific myths about rangelands and pastoralism. We will be sharing blogs, essays, art and hosting a series of online dialogues  on the following themes:

January – The tragedy of the commons is inevitable

February – Mobility drives conflict and insecurity

March – Pastoralists need more markets to thrive

April – Carbon is carbon

May – People and livestock are bad for biodiversity

June – Healthy ecosystems are always ‘green’!

July – Working with nature is a ‘new’ solution

August – Fire is the enemy

October – Consultation equals participation

December – More data leads to better rangeland management

An invitation to get involved

We warmly invite researchers, artists, writers, policy professionals, practitioners, livestock keepers, managers, herders, traders and anyone with an interest in rangelands, pastoralism and myths about them, to explore these questions with us and rethink what we think we know and how we ‘see’ rangelands and pastoralism.

There are many ways to get involved!

Join to our monthly online conversations focused on specific rangeland myths (dates coming soon). The schedule will be updated on the main rangeland myths page.

Take this short survey to share your perspective and experiences. How have you encountered myths about rangelands in your life and work? You can share as much or as little information as you like.

Share your contact information at the end of the survey or by email to Dr Linda Pappagallo or [email protected] if you consent to be contacted for a follow-up conversation or interview about your experiences, or if you would like to receive updates and information about upcoming events. You can also follow REPAiR on Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

Spread the word! Share this announcement with your networks and on social media.

Let us know if you are already working on these or similar issues, have publications, blogs or other resources to share, or would like to be more directly involved in communications, analysis or collaborative outputs. You can send an email to Dr Linda Pappagallo or [email protected].