OTTAWA, ON, February 17, 2026 – Veterinarians Without Borders North America / Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord (VWB/VSF) is joining organizations across the VSF International network in launching a global manifesto calling for stronger protection of rangelands and greater recognition of pastoralist communities as essential stewards of climate resilience, food security, and ecosystem health.
The launch takes place during the United Nations’ International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026 — a global recognition of the vital role rangelands play in sustaining biodiversity, regulating climate, and supporting more than two billion people worldwide.
Rangelands cover over 50 percent of the Earth’s land surface and store nearly 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial carbon. Yet up to half of these ecosystems are now degraded due to land-use change, climate impacts, and the marginalization of pastoral communities. The consequences include biodiversity loss, increased carbon emissions, and growing instability in already fragile food systems.
The manifesto — Healthy Rangelands, Resilient Communities, Connected Future — calls on governments, institutions, and citizens to:
- Protect land, water, and mobility rights
- Invest in community-led animal health and One Health services
- Support pastoral voices in national and global policy spaces
- Restore degraded rangelands through locally led solutions
“Where communities depend on animals and fragile landscapes for their survival, animal health is foundational to climate resilience and food security,” said Janine Mitchell, Executive Director of VWB/VSF North America. “Pastoralist knowledge and mobility have sustained ecosystems for generations. Recognizing and investing in these systems is both an environmental and social imperative.”
While pastoralism takes different forms across regions, the underlying principle remains consistent: when communities are supported to steward animals and land together, resilience follows. Through its work in livestock-dependent regions such as South Sudan, VWB/VSF supports community-based animal health systems that strengthen livelihoods and reduce vulnerability to climate shocks. In Northern Canada, VWB/VSF partners with remote communities to improve access to veterinary care and reinforce One Health approaches in fragile northern ecosystems.
“As part of the VSF International network, we see clearly that animal health, ecosystem health, and community well-being are deeply interconnected,” Mitchell added. “Protecting rangelands is not only about distant landscapes — it is about sustaining the systems that underpin global food security and climate stability.”
The manifesto is now open for public signature. Policymakers, institutions, and citizens are invited to learn more and add their voices to the global call.
👉 Read and sign the Manifesto: https://campaign.vsf-international.org/pastoralism/
------------------------------------------------
About VWB/VSF: Founded in 2005, Veterinarians Without Borders North America / Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord (VWB/VSF) is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to improving community health through enhanced animal health. Using a “One Health” approach, we work with diverse partners to strengthen community-centered animal health systems, directly benefiting the people and environments that rely on them. As the North American affiliate of VSF International, VWB/VSF operates independently, with ongoing programs in Africa, Asia, Northern Canada, and Europe. Our efforts focus on disease prevention, sustainable livelihoods, equitable access to resources, capacity building, and humanitarian relief, reaching over 1 million people annually. Learn more: www.vwb.org
Media Contact:
Tanja Kisslinger
Director of Communications
VWB/VSF North America
tanja@vwb.org / +1 613 413 5776
