GLF Africa 2026: Rangelands’ Stewards Lead

HYBRID CONFERENCE

GLF AFRICA 2026: RANGELANDS’ STEWARDS LEAD

In the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, a global call to action for Africa’s pastoralist regions

DATE

6–7 May 2026

LOCATION

Nairobi, Kenya, and online

SOCIAL

#GLFAfrica

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Did you know that rangelands support 60% of the world’s food production?

They also cover 54% of the Earth’s land area and sustain the livelihoods of 1.2 billion people.
And if you’ve ever been hiking or camping, you know how crucial they are for tourism and conservation.

Despite their importance, you may not have even heard of these landscapes. In short, they’re lands that are grazed by livestock or wildlife and mainly stewarded by pastoralists.

And now is the time to talk about them, because half of the world’s rangelands are under threat from the climate crisis, conflict, mismanagement and underinvestment – putting these pastoral livelihoods at risk.

The UN has declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists – which is why GLF Africa will return with a special edition to put these often forgotten landscapes and communities on the map.

This event is free for everyone to join online. Get your ticket now and join 8,000 like-minded people as we revitalize our rangelands!

If you’d like to attend in person, more details will be announced shortly – stay tuned! 

Explore the event themes

Climate-proofing rangelands

Discover innovations to make rangelands resilient in a warming world.

Restoring rangeland health

Help restore degraded rangelands and protect biodiversity.

Rethinking land governance

Envision an end to land conflicts and secure land use rights for pastoralists.

The rangeland economy

Invest in rangelands and pastoralists, from ecotourism to sustainable commodities.

Innovation and disruptive technologies

Develop new solutions for rangelands using AI, biotech and Indigenous knowledge.

Learn more about the event in the conference brief

MEET SOME OF OUR PAST SPEAKERS

Any questions? Get in touch.

General

Amos Amanubo

a.amanubocifor-icraf[dot]org

Marina Brunale

M.Brunalecifor-icraf[dot]org

MEDIA

Kelly Quintero

K.Quinterocifor-icraf[dot]org

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Majority for Action: Countdown to COP30

#MajorityForAction

Countdown to COP30 in Belém, Brazil

Up to 89% of humanity wants greater climate action.
Let’s make it happen.

We’ve hit 1.5°C.
Where do we go from here?

We need a radical rethink of our economic and political systems if we are to survive the decades to come. We need to build a united front for global climate justice from the ground up. We don’t need a seat at the table – we need a new table.

We are the majority for action. This is our time to join forces and rewrite our own story.

Will you join us?

Act

Join the fight for global climate justice – while we can still win.

Create your #MajorityForAction card

8 building blocks for a new vision for Earth

FREE HYBRID EVENT – GLF Climate 2025

FREE HYBRID EVENT – The 8th Investment Case

Discover COP30

All you need to know about the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil.

Our daily live updates from Belém

All you need to know about the biggest climate event of 2025

Fears for inclusivity as Belém struggles with the logistics of hosting the UN Climate Change Conference

Looking back at 33 years of the UN climate, biodiversity and land conventions

Attending COP30 in person?

We’d love to see you at GLF Climate 2025 (17 November) and the 8th Investment Case (18 November) in the Blue Zone

You’ll find us at the Action on Food Hub. If you’d like to attend, we strongly encourage you to RSVP by filling out the form below.

❗Please note you must have a valid COP30 Blue Zone accreditation to attend in person. We unfortunately cannot offer accreditations or sponsorships.

Join the #MajorityForAction. Spread the word. Here are some materials to get you started.

Share the campaign

The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Climate Agreement and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and committed to the landscape approach. The Forum takes a holistic approach to create sustainable landscapes that are productive, prosperous, equitable and resilient and considers five cohesive themes of food and livelihoods, landscape restoration, rights, finance and measuring progress. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank and Charter Members. Charter members: CIAT, CIFOR-ICRAF, CIRAD, Climate Focus, Conservation International, Crop Trust, Ecoagriculture Partners, The European Forest Institute, Evergreen Agriculture, FAO, FSC, GEF, GIZ, ICIMOD, IFOAM – Organics International, The International Livestock Research Institute, INBAR, IPMG, IPAM AmazoniaIUFRO, Rainforest Alliance, Rare, Rights and Resources Initiative, SAN, SouthSouthNorthTMG-Think Tank for Sustainability, UNCCD, UNEP, Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation part of Wageningen Research, World Farmer Organization, World Bank Group, World Resources Institute, WWF International, Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL)

The views expressed in this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the Global Landscapes Forum. This site is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). | Global Landscapes Forum is governed under CIFOR’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

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The 8th GLF Investment Case

HYBRID CONFERENCE AT COP30

The 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium

Financing Nature’s Frontlines

Co-organized with:

The 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium, as it happened

Most of humanity wants real, meaningful climate action – but how do we fund that change?

At the 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium: Financing Nature’s Frontlines, we brought together investors and changemakers to explore how to channel finance towards regenerative, community-led solutions.

Held at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and livestreamed worldwide, the event gathered over 4,400 participants from 147 countries, along with 56 speakers and 53 global and local partner organizations.

Reaching over 6 million people and counting via social media and media channels, with more than 763,000 engagements, this global event challenged governments and investors to rethink the future of climate and nature finance.

Missed the event? Don’t worry –  all hybrid and online sessions are now available to stream on demand.

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

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GLF Climate 2025

GLF Climate 2025, as it happened

Up to 89% of the world’s population wants to see greater climate action.

At GLF Climate 2025: A New Vision for Earth, we gathered this majority for action – showcasing and demanding recognition for the grassroots climate solutions being led by communities worldwide.

This event, held at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and livestreamed worldwide, gathered over 10,000 participants from 178 countries. A satellite event was held in Lima, Peru, along with watch parties in 10 countries.

All 13 live-streamed plenaries and sessions are now available to watch on demand. Tune in to discover what real climate action looks like on the ground.

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

VIDEOS

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PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

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Tropentag 2025

WORKSHOP 14 AT TROPENTAG 2025

Enhancing Tropical Landscape Multifunctionality, Resilience, Adaptability And Health Through Socio-ecological Gains

A knowledge exchange

Want to help shape a resilient and just future for tropical landscapes?

Join our workshop to learn how to create stronger, healthier tropical landscapes. We’ll explore context-specific, inclusive land strategies that combine biophysical and social innovations. These approaches are designed to make landscapes more resilient, adaptable and useful for everyone.

You’ll discover real-world success stories and pinpoint key opportunities for the biggest impact. This isn’t just a discussion – it’s a chance to build new partnerships and directly contribute to a concrete plan of action and a joint white paper. Together, we can help ensure the long-term health of these vital ecosystems.

Join us in person or online and be part of the conversation!

MEET SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS

Any questions? Get in touch.

Venetia Galanaki

Events Content Officer

V.Galanakicifor-icraf[dot]org

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2026 Restoration Stewards Program & GLFx Chapters

2026 RESTORATION STEWARDS PROGRAM & GLFx CHAPTER NETWORK

JOIN A GROWING RESTORATION COMMUNITY

APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED

All successful applicants will be contacted in the coming months if selected for the next round

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

The climate crisis is already ravaging landscapes and livelihoods, but it’s not too late to act: all across the globe, people are fighting back by restoring ecosystems and working with local communities to adapt.

To support those efforts, we’re opening applications for the 2026 Restoration Stewards program and new GLFx chapters. If you’re a young restoration practitioner or a community-based organization and you’d like to scale up, deep or out the impact of your landscape projects, this opportunity is for you!

APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED

2026 Restoration Stewards Program

Are you a young restoration practitioner ready to scale your project?

Apply if you are:

  • A young, ambitious restoration practitioner between the ages of 18 and 35.
  • Leading or part of a youth-led and youth-driven team.
  • Working on an ecosystem restoration project for oceans, wetlands, peatlands, mountains, forests, drylands or rangelands.

As a Restoration Steward, you will get:

  • EUR 5,000 in funding to support your restoration project;
  • Mentorship opportunities with our  global network of experts;
  • Spotlighting opportunities through GLF platforms and media outreach;
  • Capacity development opportunities, including workshops and the Landscape Academy.

2026 GLFx Chapter Network​

Are you a local NGO working towards sustainable landscapes?

Apply if you are:

  • Representing a locally-led organization in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Leading or part of a registered NGO led by local people, and embodying values of diversity and inclusion (gender, Indigenous people, youth).
  • Working to promote sustainable land use at the local level to boost food security, livelihoods and biodiversity.

If selected to join the GLFx network, you will get access to:

  • Exclusive funding opportunities;
  • Networking and peer-to-peer learning with other GLFx chapters;
  • Collaboration with experts from the GLF network of charter members;
  • Training opportunities, including workshops and the Landscape Academy.

GENERAL INQUIRIES

Restoration Stewards Program

Eirini Sakellari

Youth Program Coordinator

E.Sakellari@cifor-icraf.org

GLFx Chapter Network

Ana Yi Soto

GLFx Coordinator

A.Yisoto@cifor-icraf.org

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Media Lab: Stories Into the Woods

MEDIA LAB

STORIES INTO THE WOODS
Online | 7–8 May 2025, 13:00–14:30 UTC
(8 AM Bogota, 1 PM Accra, 8 PM Jakarta)
Interpretation available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Bahasa Indonesia

Hosted by:

Forests are everywhere, standing tall for climate action, economic stability and human well-being. Yet, they remain at risk – often misunderstood, sometimes overlooked and always essential.  

Communicators play a crucial role in decoding the science, revealing hidden narratives and making forest stories resonate with diverse audiences. 

During this two-day media lab, experts guided participants through crafting compelling stories that connect people and forests, harness technology and data, and navigated audience engagement.  

 Held between GLF Forests 2025 and Forests, People, Planet, and in the buildup to the decisive climate COP30, the lab sharpened participants’ skills in working with scientists and creating powerful forest stories. 

AGENDA

DAY 1

7 May 2025

13:00–13:10

Why a Media Lab on forests?

13:10–13:50

Making forests matter to younger audiences

Panel and Q&A

How do we bring forest stories to life for younger audiences? Storytelling experts will share what works, from social media to traditional newsrooms. Kiyo, Business and Climate Reporter and “Planet A” Lead at Deutsche Welle (DW); Yunanto, Science Journalist and Visual Interaktif Kompas (VIK) Manager at Kompas; and Andrea, Social Media Specialist at the GLF, explored impactful angles, formats and language choices that make forest stories engaging and relevant. They also discussed how to highlight positive narratives, create content directly from forests, fact-check content and manage story production in teams of any size. 

13:50–14:30

Bridging journalism and science

Discussion and Q&A 

In an informal exchange, Paula Díaz Levi, General Editor – Latin America at Climate Tracker; Beria Leimona, Theme Leader – Climate Change, Energy & Low-Carbon Development at CIFOR-ICRAF and Eden, Multimedia Editor at ThinkLandscape unpacked the art of collaboration. They discussed tackling misinformation, uncovering unexpected forest stories and connecting forests to climate narratives. Discover how science and storytelling can work together to make forest issues more accessible and compelling. 

DAY 2

8 May 2025

13:00–13:40

From figures to forests: Data in storytelling

Demo and Q&A

Explore how data from scientists and communities can enrich fact-based storytelling, from in-depth investigations to quick snapshots. With Felix, Head of Media at Odipo Dev; Tor-Gunnar, Head of Spatial Data Science and Applied Learning Lab at CIFOR-ICRAF; and Ava, Associate Editor at ThinkLandscape, learn how dashboards, satellite imagery, AI and data visualization help uncover new angles, enhance reporting, navigate safety or budget constraints, strengthen investigations and fact-check information. 

13:40–14:20

Ideate and pitch impactful forest stories

Expert tips and Q&A

The Pulitzer Center grantees Elodie Toto, Central Africa staff writer at Mongabay Africa; Paritta Wangkiat, editor-in-chief of The Mekong Eye; Rob Soutar, Environment Editor at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ); and Magalhães, the GLFx Latin America & the Caribbean Hub Officer, shared how to craft, pitch and publish compelling forest stories. Drawing from their experience in editorial leadership, investigative reporting and fieldwork, they guided participants on how to shape story angles, use data effectively and structure stories for high impact. 

14:20–14:30

What's next? Forest content resources and a small grant opportunity

After attending the Media Lab, journalists and content creators received quick references to fact-based content on forests and were invited to submit story ideas for a chance to win a small grant and guidance to produce their stories. Learn more below! 

MEET THE SPEAKERS

THE FOREST STORY GRANT

Journalists and content creators: do you have a forest story to tell? We want to support you!

Who is this grant for? Journalists and social media content creators who attended the Media Lab, have a proven track record of relevant publications and an active platform or engagement with an outlet, and have never been part of a GLF program except the Social Media Ambassadors program.  

How to apply: Submit a 250-word pitch outlining your original forest story idea by 30 May. Include key angles, the proposed format and a distribution plan. You are invited to apply in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese. The application form will be sent to you by email on 9 May. 

What grants are available? 

  • Journalistic story (USD 500). Format: Written, audio (radio/podcast), audiovisual or visual-only. Must feature insights from at least one of the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF)’s network changemakers (Restoration Stewards or GLFx chapters). The distribution plan should include potential cross-publication on ThinkLandscape.  
  • Social media story (USD 200). Format: 60–90 second video. The story should expand on themes from GLF Forests 2025 or to be addressed at Forests, People, Planet and be published as a collaborative post across your platforms and the GLF’s social media channels.  

What does the grant include? The journalistic report will receive USD 500 and editorial guidance from the ThinkLandscape team if the story is to be published on the platform. The social media reel will receive USD 200 and guidance from the GLF social media team. Payment will be made upon publication. Your story must be published no later than the start of COP30 (10 November). 

The application deadline is 30 May. Finalists will be announced by 21 June. The grant may be declared void if none of the proposals are considered viable. 

Questions? Contact Kelly Quintero at k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org and media@globallandscapesforum.org.

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GLF Africa 2025

GLF Africa 2025, as it happened

Africa’s landscapes are facing a triple crisis: land degradation, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis.

How can the continent build a thriving nature economy to address these challenges and keep its land healthy for future generations?

That was the big question we set out to tackle at GLF  Africa 2025: Innovate, Restore, Prosper, along with 2,300 participants from 122 countries, 67 speakers and 77 global and local partner organizations.

Held in Nairobi, Kenya, and online, the global event reached over 10 million people – and counting – via social media and media channels, with more than 1 million engagements.

All 14 live-streamed plenaries and sessions are now available to watch on demand. Tune in to explore a series of vibrant conversations on how Africa can rethink development in a way that works for nature and people.

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Forests, People, Planet

Forests, People, Planet, as it happened

Local communities are vital to the future of forests. How can we support them in taking their work to the next level?

At Forests, People, Planet: Scaling Local Solutions for Global Impact, we gathered over 3,000 participants from 129 countries to find answers to this crucial question.

Held online and in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, alongside the International Model Forest Network (IMFN) Global Forum 2025, this global event featured 60 speakers and over 50 global and local partner organizations, reaching almost 6 million people on social and traditional media channels, with almost 1 million engagements.

Building on GLF Forests 2025, we organized 8 plenaries, expert-led sessions and panel discussions to explore the key roles of stewardship, agroforestry and finance in building the restoration economy we need.

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Learn more about
the International Model Forest Network (IMFN)

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