Effects of farmer-herder conflicts on food security of cassava farmers in Imo State, Nigeria
Date
2026-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Federal University of Technology, Owerri
Abstract
This study examined the effect of farmer–herder conflicts on the food security of cassava farmers in Imo State, Nigeria, with the aim of understanding how conflicts influence cassava production, farmers’ net income, and their food and nutritional well-being. The study was necessitated by the growing tension between crop farmers and pastoralists, which has become a major threat to agricultural productivity and food availability in southeastern Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 90 cassava farmers from the two agricultural zones of Imo State. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression for net income analysis, and multinomial logistic regression for the determinants of coping strategies, while body mass index and individual dietary diversity score were used to analyze the food security status, the drivers of the status was determined using ordered probit model. The average net farm income (NFI) per harvest was ₦117,117.78, while the return on investment (ROI) stood at 75.86%, indicating that cassava farming remained profitable despite recurrent conflicts. Results on the causes of conflict identified both remote causes—such as population pressure, land tenure insecurity, and competition over natural resources—and immediate causes, including sexual harassment of female farmers (mean = 2.54), indiscriminate bush burning (mean = 2.48), and crop destruction by cattle (mean = 2.39). The conflicts led to displacement of households, loss of farm assets, and abandonment of farmland. The Multinomial Logistic Regression revealed that access to credit (p<0.01) and farming experience (p<0.05) significantly determined the choice of coping strategies. Crop diversification (mean = 2.63) and fencing (mean = 2.36) emerged as the most effective coping strategies, while reliance on prayer or assistance from local leaders ranked least effective. The body mass index and individual dietary diversity have a mean value of 13.9 (SD = 1.97) with the respondents being moderately food insecure. Furthermore, results from the Ordered Probit Regression showed that access to credit (coef = 1.714, p=0.016) had a positive and significant influence on food security, while farmers’ income (coef = -4.26e-06, p=0.052) had an unexpected negative effect, implying that income did not automatically translate into food security due to conflict-related losses and livelihood instability. Variables such as education, farm size, and land ownership had positive but statistically insignificant effects, while sex, age, and conflict frequency negatively affected food security. The study concludes that farmer–herder conflict substantially undermines cassava productivity, net income, and food security in Imo State. It recommends the establishment of community-based conflict management systems, improved credit access, farmer education on adaptive strategies, and enforcement of land-use policies to promote peaceful coexistence. The research contributes to knowledge by providing an integrated socioeconomic and econometric assessment of how conflict shapes the resilience and food security dynamics of cassava-based farming households in southeastern Nigeria.
Description
This thesis is for the award of Master of Science (MSc.) in Agricultural Resource and Environmental Economics
Keywords
Causes, farmer-herder conflicts, food security, displacement, livelihood, Department of Agricultural Economics
Citation
Obasi, A. C.(2026). Effects of farmer-herder conflicts on food security of cassava farmers in Imo State, Nigeria [Unpublished Master's Thesis]. Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria