In a landmark partnership, CABI and The Nature Conservancy are uniting science, community stewardship, and regenerative business to restore Kenya’s degraded rangelands—and future-proof food systems.
By Ethical Business News Desk
In a bold move to confront the twin crises of land degradation and climate vulnerability, two leading environmental organisations—CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC)—have signed a far-reaching agreement to regenerate Kenya’s rangelands through climate-resilient agriculture and landscape restoration.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a newly signed Charter lay the foundation for a collaborative platform known as the Rangelands Improvement Community Hub (RICH). RICH will support integrated rangeland health management and promote regenerative, nature-based solutions to strengthen local economies, improve food systems, and build ecological resilience.
“CABI recognises that partnerships are at the heart of sustainable change,” said Ms Ombonyo, Regional Representative at CABI. “Together with The Nature Conservancy and the Central Highlands Ecoregion Foodscape (CHEF) partners, we are protecting Kenya’s rich rangelands and restoring farmland—combating invasive species, enhancing soil health, and promoting land regeneration through native species.”
Regenerating landscapes from the ground up
Kenya’s rangelands—spanning over 80% of the country—are essential for food production, biodiversity, water systems, and rural livelihoods. Yet, decades of overgrazing, unsustainable farming, and climate stress have left vast areas degraded. This has not only reduced productivity but weakened the natural systems that buffer communities against drought, flooding, and desertification.
The new CABI–TNC partnership sees regeneration not just as a conservation priority but as an economic and social imperative. At the heart of RICH is a push to mainstream regenerative agriculture, which includes improving livestock systems, introducing circular practices for manure and forage, and supporting climate-smart land-use models that restore rather than deplete.
The hub will also focus on building community-led governance systems, offering technical support, adaptation finance, and pathways for diversifying rural incomes through regenerative enterprise.
From crisis to climate resilience
Through this partnership, CABI and TNC are also deepening their involvement in the Central Highlands Ecoregion Foodscape (CHEF)—a collaborative landscape-level initiative to transition the region into a regenerative food system. Stretching from Mount Kenya’s forested slopes down to the drier grazing lands, the Central Highlands are a critical water source and agricultural zone producing potatoes, snow peas, and other key crops.
CHEF’s ambition is to turn agriculture into a driver of climate resilience—where farming practices help regenerate soil, protect water catchments, and support biodiversity conservation. Invasive species, like the fast-spreading Engelmann prickly pear cactus, have severely disrupted rangeland ecology and forage supply. But CABI and its partners are leading practical interventions: over 200 local farmers have been trained to use a sap-sucking insect called the cochineal to control the cactus naturally, thanks to biological material provided by Loisaba Conservancy, a TNC partner.
This locally led, science-based approach reflects CABI’s mission: applying innovation to agricultural and environmental challenges.
A shared vision for Kenya’s future
For The Nature Conservancy, whose global conservation footprint spans over 80 countries, the collaboration marks a deepening of its commitment to climate-aligned agriculture and community-led conservation in Kenya. TNC’s role in shaping “organic, multi-stakeholder ecosystems” gives it a comparative advantage in building bridges between government, civil society, and business.
“By working in partnership with CABI and others, we believe The Nature Conservancy is better placed to tackle Kenya’s most pressing challenges—from land degradation to economic insecurity—by advancing climate-smart agriculture and strengthening natural resource governance,” said Ms Munira Anyonge-Bashir, TNC’s Government Relations and Policy Director for Kenya.
As climate impacts intensify across East Africa, the urgency to regenerate land and build resilient food systems has never been clearer. From preserving Mount Kenya’s water flows to restoring degraded pasturelands, the collaboration’s integrated approach to landscape management connects ecosystems, economies, and communities.
From restoration to opportunity
This partnership is more than a conservation effort—it is a strategy for inclusive development. By promoting regenerative agriculture-based business models under RICH, the MoU paves the way for livelihood creation that is rooted in ecological restoration. Whether through carbon-smart livestock systems, improved forage quality, or native plant-based enterprises, the initiative offers communities the tools to both adapt to and mitigate climate change.
“Restoring the land is restoring livelihoods,” said a local partner in the CHEF coalition. “When we protect soil, water, and biodiversity, we also protect our future.”
In a time of climate uncertainty and economic pressure, the CABI–TNC partnership is a timely reminder that environmental regeneration and agricultural innovation can, and must, go hand in hand.
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