How the Maasai of Kenya use regenerative farming for climate resilience

Overview
For centuries, the Maasai people of East Africa have lived in harmony with the land, moving with the seasons and maintaining a delicate balance between people, cattle, and wildlife. Today, climate change, land privatisation, and conservation policies restrict this traditional mobility, challenging both livelihoods and culture.

Dalmas Tiampati, a Maasai herder and climate activist, leads the Maasai Centre for Regenerative Pastoralism in Kenya. His work integrates indigenous ecological knowledge with regenerative land management — restoring degraded pastures, empowering communities, and reviving cultural governance systems.

In this talk, Dalmas will share the Maasai philosophy that “a herder is a herder of herders” — a vision of leadership rooted in care, responsibility, and interdependence. He will explore how traditional pastoral wisdom aligns with modern sustainability science, and how innovations such as azolla cultivation can produce local biofertilizer and livestock feed at no cost, offering a nature-based path to climate resilience.
Dalmas will be available after the event to talk freely with any attendees who would like to carry on the conversation directly with Dalmas.

Who Should Attend?

• Members of the public seeking insight into indigenous solutions to the global climate crisis.
• Professionals in ecology, sustainable agriculture, and international development.
• Students and researchers in environmental science, geography, and anthropology.
• Policymakers and NGO representatives working in regeneration and food systems.

Questions to Reflect On

• What can the world learn from indigenous approaches to land stewardship?
• How can regenerative pastoralism heal ecosystems and cultures simultaneously?
• Can traditional knowledge and modern science work together to mitigate climate change?
• How might innovations like azolla reshape sustainable farming in arid regions?

Practical Information

The presentation will include time for questions and discussion. Booking is essential.

Access

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing [email protected]

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Host or Publisher The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society