There is something quietly powerful about watching a young herder and a young farmer stand side by side in a field, both learning the same techniques, both invested in the same outcomes. That was the scene at the Forage Demonstration PEACE Farm in Kihang-Buhit community — and it was anything but ordinary.
YARAC hosted an interactive learning session at the demonstration farm, joined by Samson Ishaya, Regional MEL Officer (North Central) for the SPRING Programme Nigeria. The session brought together young herders and young farmers for a hands-on exploration of lessons from the forage demonstration plots.
What Participants Learned
The discussion went beyond theory. Participants shared firsthand accounts of adaptive techniques they had adopted, improvements in pasture management, the practical value of compost application, and sustainable approaches to forage utilization. The conversation captured something vital: the tangible impact of these practices on livestock productivity, conflict sensitivity, and community resilience.
Hearing young people articulate changes in their own words — describing how their land, animals, and relationships with each other had improved — was a reminder of why community-led learning is irreplaceable.
Agriculture as Peacebuilding
Farmer-herder tensions have long been a source of conflict across Nigeria’s Middle Belt. YARAC’s approach in Kihang-Buhit is grounded in the understanding that when farmers and herders share knowledge, share land-use strategies, and work toward shared prosperity, the conditions for conflict begin to dissolve.
Every conversation at the demonstration farm is also a negotiation — not of territory, but of trust. With support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the SPRING Programme, in partnership with Tetra Tech International Development and ActionAid Nigeria, this initiative continues to strengthen peaceful coexistence through sustainable agricultural practices.
Together, YARAC and its partners are building knowledge, strengthening livelihoods, and nurturing peace — one demonstration plot at a time.