The Center for Policy Research developed the rules for establishing pastureland use agreements between primary associations of herder households and soum/district Governorsbetween May and July 2025, commissioned by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry.
These rules aim to implement the following laws, which were approved by the Parliament in June 2024 to create a legal environment for the responsible use of pastures according to their carrying capacity and under agreement:
- Law on the Legal Status of the Unified Association of Herder Households (Approved on June 5, 2024)
- Law on Herders (Approved on June 5, 2024)
- Amendments to the Land Law (Approved on June 5, 2024)
Based on the aforementioned laws, informal herders’ organizations such as herders’ groups, partnerships, and Pasture User Groups (PUGs) that were previously established must register as official organizations with the status of a legal entity, comprising no fewer than 10 households. This provides the advantage of not only concluding pasture use agreements but also of equally cooperating with partners in all sectors of the livestock husbandry business.
For instance, Article 10.1 of the Law on the Legal Status of the Unified Association of Herder Households states: “The primary association shall organize and support its members in the activities of proper use and protection of pastures and natural resources used under contract, in accordance with the agreement concluded with the Governor”
Also, Article 52.2 of the Land Law states: “The Soum Governor, based on the proposal of the Citizens’ Public Meeting of the bagh, and considering the specifics of the region and the carrying capacity of the pasture, may allow the primary association of herder households to use the pasture under agreement, for the purpose of protecting the pasture from degradation and restoration.”
CPR delivered the following deliverables as part of the contract work:
- Rules for establishing pastureland use agreements between primary associations of herder households and soum/district Governors
- Model agreement for the use of pastures by primary associations of herder households
- Recommendation on establishing a primary association of herder households
These rules, guidelines, and recommendations are based on results that were tested in all ecological regions of Mongolia within numerous projects implemented by the Center for Policy Research, proving their feasibility for implementation in real life.