Pastoralism is a production system and livelihood strategy that is based on extensive livestock grazing on rangelands/grasslands and often some form of herd mobility, which has been practiced in many regions of the world for centuries. Currently, extensive pastoralism occurs on about 25 % of Earth’s land area, mostly in the developing world, from the drylands of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the highlands of Asia and Latin America where intensive crop cultivation is physically not possible because of a harsh environment and poor access. In addition, cattle and sheep ranchers in Western North America, Australia, New Zealand, and a few other regions of the world presently practice a modern form of pastoralism. Worldwide, pastoralism supports about 200 million households and herds of nearly a billion animals including camels, cattle, and smaller livestock that account for about 10 % of the world’s meat production.