Assessment of the Impact of Perennial Farmer-Herder Conflict and Food Security in Benue State (A Study of Gwer West LGA)

Recurring farmer-herder conflicts have emerged as a critical threat to agricultural productivity and food security across Nigeria's Middle Belt, with Benue State bearing a disproportionate burden of this crisis. This study assessed the impact of perennial farmer-herder conflict on food security in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State. Anchored on the Conflict Theory by Karl Marx, which posits that competition over scarce resources generates systemic social tension, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. A population of farming households and community stakeholders in Gwer West LGA was targeted, with a sample of 120 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire served as the primary instrument of data collection. Findings revealed that recurring conflicts have led to widespread farm abandonment, destruction of crops and livestock, displacement of farming families, and significant reduction in agricultural output, all of which have deepened food insecurity in the area. The study concluded that the perennial nature of farmer-herder conflict constitutes a direct and measurable threat to household food security, undermining livelihoods and communal stability in Gwer West LGA. The study recommended that government at all levels should establish functional conflict resolution mechanisms, strengthen land-use policies, and invest in alternative livelihood programmes to reduce resource-based competition between farmers and herders.

Keywords: Farmer-herder conflict, food security, Benue State, Gwer West, resource competition