The Farmers Organisation Network in Ghana (FONG), a network of small-scale farmer and fisher-based organisations in Ghana, has advocated the inclusion of pastoralism in development plans of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. According to the Network, the absence of medium-term action plans at the district levels to address issues of pastoralism and transhumance was worsening insecurity, resulting in a sharp increase in internally displaced people while marginalising arid zones and pastoral areas for many years. According to the network, the plans will help curtail conflicts between pastoralists and crop farmers. Dr King David Amoah, President of FONG, made the call at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region during a two-day advocacy workshop, organised by FONG as part of the implementation of the MOPSS II project. The two-day advocacy is to push for the consideration of pastoralism in district assembly development plans and influence a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the peaceful management o f natural resources, including pastoral land. The stakeholders were drawn from Bolgatanga and Builsa North Municipalities and Bongo, Talensi, Kassena-Nankana West, Builsa South Districts, herders, crop farmers, and workers from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), among others. Dr Amoah revealed that research conducted in the Kassena-Nankana West, Builsa South districts, and Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region, dubbed 'Analysis of the Conflict, Security, and Humanitarian Context in the MOPSS II Intervention Zone (2023)', underscored the urgent need for the assemblies to include pastoralism in their development plans to prevent conflicts. The participants were taken through the results of the diagnostic study and other good practices in conflict prevention and management. It was also to help participants formulate proposals and recommendations for the various stakeholders and to develop a roadmap for monitoring the implementation of the proposals and recommendations for better confli ct management in communities. The MOPSS II project is being led by the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) with support from the Billital Maroobe Network (RBM), the Association for the Promotion of Livestock in the Sahel and Savanna (APESS), the Network of Farmers` Organisations and Producers of West Africa (ROPPA), Hub Rural, and CARE Demark. It aimed at contributing to the consideration of pastoralism in the development plans and strategies of Northern Cross border communities in the central corridor of West Africa, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. Mr Nathaniel Sulemana, National Coordinator, FONG, reiterated that the exclusion of MoFA at the district assemblies in the resolution of conflicts between herders and crop farmers needed to be relooked at since they dealt directly with farmers. 'Our understanding is, that particular activity that has to do with conflict between cattle herdsmen is under the District Assembly Security Council, of which MoFA is not part and is not called u pon in resolution of those conflicts, and we think that should not be the case because MoFA interacts directly with livestock and crop farmers and needed to be involved,' he stated. Mr Mahamud Iddi, District Director, Department of Agriculture, Builsa North Municipal, noted that issues of pastoralism or transhumance existed for decades and was important that measures be put in place to address the phenomenon. According to him, when mechanisms are put in place it would be to the benefit of both while increasing food and nutrition security in the country. He said the sustainability of the project, the efforts of the government were crucial in putting up action plans that would address the existing conflicts between herders and crop farmers. Source: Ghana News Agency