This study critically examines the complex interplay between climate change and conflict dynamics within Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato farming communities across Southeast Nigeria. Employing a mixed-methods approach including surveys of 180 farmers, focus group discussions, and systematic media analysis, the research reveals that 71.7% of farmers face significant climateinduced disruptions, with 60% identifying reduced agricultural productivity as a primary conflict driver. Principal Component Analysis underscores that socio-demographic factors, notably age, education, and farming experience, shape 30.71% of perceived climate-conflict linkages. Despite available adaptive strategies, only 35% of farmers have adopted such measures, achieving a mere 20% loss mitigation highlighting a severe implementation gap rooted in institutional and structural barriers. The study challenges simplistic environmental scarcity narratives, reframing climate change as a threat multiplier that intensifies pre-existing vulnerabilities linked to land tenure, resource governance, and gender inequality. These findings advocate for integrated policies that combine climate resilience with conflict-sensitive approaches, emphasizing land reform, inklusive extension services, and community-led adaptation to address both ecological and socio-political dimensions of risk in agrarian systems.
climate-conflict nexus, political ecology, adaptation barriers, food security, Southeast Nigeria, mixed-methods research