Moving beyond the threshold: The escalation of farmer-herder conflicts in Akim North Municipality of Ghana

This paper examines conflicts between farmers and herders through the lens of conflict escalation theory. The paper focuses on the case of the Asante Akim North Municipality of Ghana. The paper builds on forty-eight semi-structured interviews, two focus group discussions, and archival materials that were analyzed qualitatively through descriptive, thematic, and content analysis. The paper demonstrates how the conflict escalates through a sequence of actions and reactions by multiple actors with varying interests. The conflict travels from a stage of latency where actors employ nonviolent and low-intensity actions to attain their interest, to a stage with violence and increased stakes vested in the conflict.