Abstract/Summary

The escalation of farmer-herder conflicts poses a threat to agricultural production and livelihood outcomes in Nigeria. However, households with adaptive capacity may mitigate the negative impact of these conflicts on nutritious food consumption. In this study, we examine the impact of farmer-herder conflicts on animal-source foods (ASF) consumption and investigate the extent to which livestock diversification can serve as a mitigating factor. Using panel household data from Nigeria with a global georeferenced conflict dataset, we employ fixed-effects regression models to understand a causal relationship. Our findings reveal that exposure to farmer-herder conflicts reduces the quantity of ASF consumed and increases the number of days households exclude ASF from their diets. Additionally, we establish the role livestock diversification plays in mitigating the impacts of farmer-herder conflicts on ASF consumption. This evidence provides policymakers and practitioners with potential strategies for building nutrition resilience in locations that are exposed to farmer-herder conflicts. Promoting conflict-sensitive livestock production systems, such as cattle ranching, can be a strategy for sustaining nutrition and peacebuilding in Nigeria and countries in similar conflict situations.