Farmer-Herder Conflicts and Food Security Dynamics in West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region, Ghana
Authors: David Suaka Yaro
DOI: 10.87349/ahuri/181032
Page No: 13-29
Abstract
Farmer-herder conflicts have increasingly become a major challenge in West Mamprusi Municipality, with significant consequences for food security. In the West Mamprusi Municipality, competition over farmland and water resources has generated tensions, economic losses, and reduced agricultural harvest. Theories guiding the study are social identity theory, and social capital theory. The study used mixed-method design merging quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected from 351 respondents through questionnaires and interview guides. Findings revealed that although herder activities provide some benefits such as income generation and access to animal protein, they also contribute to serious disruptions in food production. Major challenges identified include farmland destruction by cattle, erratic rainfall, and increased indebtedness among farmers who often lost their investments due to crop damage. Consequently, some farmers abandoned commercial farming for subsistence farming and alternative livelihoods like charcoal burning, undermining local food security. The study recommends that the West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly collaborate with stakeholders to create grazing reserves, establish structured conflict resolution mechanisms.
