Farmer-Herder Conflicts and Livelihood Vulnerability Nexus: An Indexing Approach Based on Structural and Processual Perspectives

Issah Suhiyini Alhassan, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Mariève Pouliot, Global Development Section, Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Boateng Kyereh, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Mercy Afua Adutwumwaa Derkyi, Department of Forest Science, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani

This paper assessed livelihood vulnerability to farmer-herder conflicts using an indexing approach and Tobit regression. Primary data was collected through focus group discussion, key informant interviews and a survey conducted on 500 randomly selected households in Asante Akim North and Sekyere Afram Plains Districts in Ghana. The results show significant differences in livelihood vulnerability to FHC among different occupational groups. Whereas livelihoods of sedentary herding and farming households are the most exposed to FHC, transhumant herding households' livelihoods are most sensitive to FHC. Overall, the results show that conflict exposure and sensitivity contribute more to livelihood vulnerability to FHC than lack of adaptive capacity. Crop/cattle damage, access to land and proximity of farming and cattle grazing sites significantly increase households' vulnerability to FHC. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that policy interventions should focus on conflict exposure and sensitivity factors, such as improving farmer-herder relations through dialogues and building trust in the institutions managing the conflicts.