Resilience and Renewal: the Cattle Herders of Kazakhstan

In the depths of winter 2025, with temperatures plummeting well below freezing, I travelled across Kazakhstan on assignment for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This series captures the lives of cattle herders and farmers working in some of the region’s most challenging conditions.

Through a series of environmental portraits, the project reveals a way of life deeply rooted in tradition—where resilience, heritage, and daily labour intersect on the land.

Their work comes at a time of growing transformation in Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector. Both beef and dairy production have seen significant increases, driven by rising domestic demand and economic development. As the country expands its ambitions in food security and export capacity, these images offer a human lens on the people sustaining that momentum—quietly shaping the future from the ground up.