Will There Be Enough Food and Meat for the People? Assessing the Effects of Farmer–Herder Conflicts on Food Security in Ghana

Abstract

Violent conflict has harmed the livelihoods of individuals in conflict-prone communities around the world, particularly, those who rely on food crops and livestock production. Based on fieldwork in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District and the Atebubu-Amantin Municipality, the paper assesses the effects of farmer–herder conflicts on food security. The study’s findings show that the conflict has had a wide-ranging impact on food security, with both farmers and herders suffering incalculable consequences. Thus, just as crop farmers’ production is declining, so is nomadic herders’ cattle diminishing. The study proposes that relevant stakeholders work together to control the threat of farmer–herder conflict because the impact of the conflict extends beyond the communities directly affected.