Cattle Herding and Crime Incidence Nexus: Case Study of the Sekyere Afram Plains District, Ghana

This study examined the relationship between cattle herding and crime in the Sekyere Afram Plains District of Ghana by analyzing crime patterns over a nine-year period (2015–2023). Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collected primary data from farmers, herders, community members, victims of crime, and key informants across eight communities, complemented by secondary data from the Sekyere Afram Plains District Police Department. Quantitative analyses of crime records and qualitative insights from interviews and focus group discussions enabled a comprehensive understanding of herding-related criminal dynamics. The findings indicate that crop damage, assault, farmer–herder clashes, attempted murder, and robbery constituted the top five herding-related offenses. Seasonal influxes of nomadic herders during the dry season, combined with retaliatory actions by farmers responding to crop damage, were associated with spikes in certain criminal activities. Among the factors influencing aggressive behaviors, protection of cattle emerged as the most significant, supporting the theoretical lens of the Culture of Honor, which links herders’ defensive strategies to the perceived vulnerability of their livelihoods. The study also highlights that some Ghanaian media frequently portray both nomadic and sedentary herders as conflict instigators, creating a misconception that herding is inherently linked to crime. Policy recommendations include the need for evidence-based media reporting and strategies that differentiate between nomadic and sedentary herders, promote regulated herder movements, and strengthen local conflict prevention mechanisms. By empirically disentangling perception from practice, the study contributes to the broader discourse on pastoralism, rural security, and farmer–herder relations in Ghana and other African contexts.