Pastoralism is one of humanity’s oldest ways of life. Moving livestock across vast landscapes in rhythm with seasonal change and environmental conditions, pastoralist cultures rely on freedom of movement and shared arrangements over how to graze rangelands. Today, pastoralists are navigating profound environmental changes to the lands that have sustained their communities for generations. This Special Issue explores many of the tensions influencing pastoral livelihoods including climate change, conflict with wildlife, access to land, water and traditional migration routes, as well as the adaptation and innovation sustaining hundreds of millions of people worldwide.