The responses of farmers have become a concern in research on climate change and its adaptation in developing countries. Several analyses have been carried out on farmers' responses of rainfed or irrigated rice fields. However, there is no research on the adaptation strategy of farmers in the downstream part of irrigation, which limits the decision-making process. Despite the irrigation facilities, the downstream rice fields are more susceptible to drought because the opportunity to get water is very small, especially during a long dry season due to climate change. Therefore, this research aims to analyze and compare the farmers' knowledge, perceptions, and adaptation efforts in the downstream and upstream irrigation areas of the Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The grounded theory method was used when the data were collected iteratively which facilitate the process of forming new concepts. A total of 55 in-depth interviews were conducted with farmers using two languages, namely Bugis (local language) and Indonesian to easily understand the research questions. The basic theory as a finding from this study showed that the concept of climate change impacts for farmers in the downstream is different from farmers in the upstream area, in terms of causal conditions, action/reaction and consequences. Farmers in the downstream perceived that the causes of climate change impacts were water shortages and rising temperatures. Adaptation strategy were carried out through the use of local and non-local knowledge in order to reduce the vulnerability of farmers' livelihood systems. Meanwhile, farmers in upstream areas revealed that pest explosions and rising temperatures were the causal conditions caused by climate change. To deal with these impacts, farmers tend to use non-local knowledge such as chemical pesticides and pest-resistant seeds. Through this adaptation, farmers could reduce the problem of pest explosions. Based on the results, the adoption of an adaptive climate change impact management policy with a participatory approach was recommended.

The sustainability of the Arabica coffee agribusiness is increasingly urgent as global demand grows while environmental and socioeconomic challenges intensify. North Toraja, renowned for its high-quality Arabica coffee, faces significant barriers to sustainability, including poor infrastructure, limited adoption of modern agricultural technologies, and socioeconomic disparities among coffee farmers. These issues threaten the long-term viability of the sector, which is a critical contributor to local livelihoods and the regional economy. This study evaluates the sustainability of the Arabica coffee agribusiness in North Toraja using a Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) approach, assessing five key dimensions: ecological, economic, social, infrastructure and technology, and institutional. Data were collected through Focus Group Discussions with stakeholders across the coffee value chain and secondary sources. The results reveal a moderately sustainable overall index of 73.78, with the economic and institutional dimensions performing strongly at 87.53 and 84.91, respectively. However, the infrastructure and technology dimension scored the lowest at 55.77, highlighting significant deficiencies in road conditions, postharvest handling, and access to advanced farming technologies. To enhance sustainability, this study recommends strategic investments in rural infrastructure, training programs to promote technology adoption, and strengthening institutional frameworks such as cooperatives and government programs. Inclusive social policies that address equity and community engagement are also crucial. By addressing these gaps through a comprehensive, multidimensional approach, North Toraja’s Arabica coffee sector can achieve greater sustainability, improving farmer welfare and ensuring competitiveness in the global market. These findings serve as a model for sustainable coffee production in similar regions.

This paper deals with communication patterns and conflict in agricultural extension. A strong assumption is that, extension could be expected to enhance agricultural and rural development, but an appropriate communication pattern and conflict in extension remains unsolved. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are three-folds, namely (a) to identify the social processes among actors in implementation of social engineering-based extension and social learning-based extension, (b) to map the communication patterns in agricultural extension, and (iii) to analyze the conflicting functions in agricultural extension. This study uses a Comparative Case Studies Method by focusing on social engineering and social learning in agricultural extension, using a Purposive Sampling Technique. The sample consists of government oficial (including extension officer), prívate sector, researcher and farmer groups. The results show that (i) social process among actors in agricultural extension based on social engineering is more project-oriented (dissociative), while social process in social learning-based extension tends to be cooperation-oriented due to the same interest in achieving goal of programs, especially skill and knowledge improvement (associative), (ii) communication in social engineering-based extension is a linier pattern (top down), while communication in social learning-based extension is using a convergent (participatory) pattern, (iii) conflict in agricultural extension based on social engineering is generally latent (hidden) and will eventually explode and impede extension, impacting group unsolidarity, while in extension based on social learning, conflict generally are on the surface (manifest), and the accommodation is one way to solve. A major implication of these findings is the stepping up of agricultural extension (based on social learning process) which becomes a push factor towards independency group in finding new innovation. The research suggests that social learning-based extension should be developed as a potential way to sustain an important role of extension in agricultural and rural development.

As the priority forestry development programs in Indonesia in recent years, Social Forestry policies (SF) and Forest Management Units (FMU or KPH) still indicate low performance. The SF program in particular, is dependent on the role of the KPH as an institution in realizing its expected goals. Using the theory of bureaucratic politics, this article presents the implementation of the SF program under the KPH system and how both programs can mutually support or inhibit the development of the other. The research was conducted using policy content analysis in the implementation of SF and KPH programs by applying interview methods, questionnaires and field observations that are presented both qualitatively and descriptively. We find that the development of SF cannot be separated from the role of the KPH bureaucracy due to the absence of bureaucratic institutions at the site level. SF sites are located in KPH working areas and perform a central role in all aspects of SF management. However, SF programs are not clearly stated as one of the main tasks and functions of KPHs and the existence of KPH interests in realizing independence without special budget allocations for the development of SF are obstacles to its implementation. KPH also still face regulatory issues that have not fully supported KPH operations resulting in weak institutions and independence to governing hierarchies due to the strong influence of the bureaucracy at the central and provincial levels. On the other hand, the SF program is still perceived as a rival of KPHs in forest management areas and further suffer from rigid regulations that are difficult to apply, making it challenging for SF to support the objectives of KPH programming. Under these conditions, KPH tend to limit SF schemes, thus privileging specific different forestry partnership schemes that are anticipated to support the independence of the KPH.

Farmer regeneration in agribusiness sustainability originates from the innovation of knowledge co-creation among farmer generations and interaction between stakeholders within and outside local contexts. The present work aims at exploring knowledge co-creation in the context of different orientations between young and old farmers. It also seeks to characterize the orientation of the two farmer groups from the aspect of agriculture, processing, and marketing of coconut through knowledge co-creation interaction to further their agricultural activities. All data in this grounded theory research came from in-depth interviews; the data were further examined using an open, axial, and selective coding method. The transcription of the field note was analyzed using an ATLAS.ti version 9, a program for analyzing qualitative data. The sample of the study was 13 of young farmers (25 to 45 years old) and 17 of old farmers (45 to 65 years old). The results revealed that the old farmers focused on revitalizing coconut trees for long-term purposes. The knowledge co-creation process among this farmer group (with other stakeholders) put an emphasis on copra and cooking oil production. Young farmers, however, focused on coconut tree integration with annual plants for short-term purposes, especially on the virgin coconut oil and innovative products from foreign technology adaptation. In conclusion, coconut business sustainability is the byproduct of knowledge co-creation and engagement between old and young farmers. This condition results in the survivability of coconut farmers. The novelty of this study lies in the classification of the orientation of the two coconut farmer groups in terms of agricultural, processing, and marketing aspects, which results in knowledge co-creation and its relation to the sustainability of coconut agriculture.

Farmers’ satisfaction with new superior varieties (NSVs) is a critical strategy for boosting their adoption. Out of 48 national NSV hybrids produced, only three, including Nasa-29, JH-37, and Bima-10, have been widely distributed at the farmer level. However, no studies have been carried out to establish farmers’ satisfaction of any of the three hybrid maize varieties. As a result, the main aim of this study is to establish farmers’ satisfaction of three-hybrid maize. The survey was conducted in three South Sulawesi maize production districts: Bone, Gowa, and North Luwu, representing the east, west, and transitional zones. A total of 150 farmers from three districts were then deliberately chosen as respondents. Variables such as seed availability, cultivation technology, post-harvest, and product marketing were monitored during our assessment. The data were then analyzed using the importance performance analysis (IPA) method. The findings indicate that seed quality and quantity, disease resistance, low yield, and productivity are the variables that require intervention to improve farmer satisfaction with the superiority of the national hybrid maize NSV. The low price of seeds, the ability to grow at 15 days, the small size of the cob, ease of harvest, and the accessibility of marketing the product at the best price were then deemed adequate variables.