Savory Institute was present at the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) which took place in Durban, South Africa at the end of 2011. 
During Land Day 5, Savory Institute Associate Consultant and Educator Dr. Constance Neely promoted the crucial role of properly managed livestock and Holistic Management in combating global climate change. “This venue was an exciting opportunity to discuss Holistic Management with diverse representatives from different sectors from around the world, including government, NGOs and Intergovernmental Organizations” Dr. Neely said afterward. She focused her presentation on how restoring the rangelands of the world opens up their potential to store large quantities of carbon. She stressed the urgent need for climate-smart and development-smart pastoralism and used examples from many regions to demonstrate how land restoration could be achieved through Holistic Planned Grazing ©, using livestock to mimic the historical behavior of large herds of ruminants in the wild where predators are present. Constance also had the opportunity to speak on the role of pastoralists and properly managed livestock in large grasslands landscapes alongside Dr. Rodney Cooke, Director of the Technical Advisory Division of IFAD (who spoke on integrated farming systems) during a civil society event organized by the UNCCD to discuss the priorities and steps needed to campaign for zero net land degradation for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
