The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted national and household food security in Indonesia. The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify the socio-economic characteristics of Indonesian households related to food security, (2) analyze the factors that have affected household food security during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (3) provide recommendations for improving programs to increase household food security. The study was conducted in eight provinces in Indonesia, namely North Sumatra, Lampung, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and West Nusa Tenggara. Data collection was carried out from April to July 2020. The results showed that 50.63% of the households surveyed were food insecure. The binary-logit-regression-model results showed that variables of gender, age, family size, education, occupation, income, and expenditure on food had a significant effect on household food security status. Variables that had a positive influence on household food security were gender, age, education, occupation, income, and food expenditure. On the other hand, household size had a negative effect on household food security. The marginal effect of gender was 0.035, age was 0.058, education was 0.192, type of work was 0.016, income level was 0.521, and food expenditure was 0.114, while for the number of family members the marginal effect was 15.725. This study was conducted in eight provinces affected by COVID-19, using the Household-Food- Insecurity-Access-Scale and binary-logit model approaches, which had never been performed before. Policy and program recommendations for increasing household food security in Indonesia are presented.

Agricultural activities cannot be separated from indigenous knowledge (IK), which has developed and continues to be strongly maintained by Bugis–Makassar farmers in the face of rapidly developing science and technology. The objective of this study was to explore the IK practices in rice cultivation of the Bugis–Makassar farmer community, as well as the process of integrating IK and scientific knowledge into decision making. The study used a number of qualitative methodologies to gather information, including meetings, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and semi-structured interviews. Our results show that IK is slowly disappearing and being replaced by middle-aged people and youth, who seem to care more about modernization than assimilation. However, with the existence of Tudang Sipulung, the fading of local wisdom may be inhibited. Tudang Sipulung’s strength lies in the government’s involvement in integrating IK and scientific knowledge into formal forums and agreement. The Tudang Sipulung agreement is formally binding with constitutional sanctions applied. In order to provide optimum benefits, engaging young farmers in the understanding and preservation of indigenous and scientific knowledge is recommended to preserve local culture and transfer modern technology.

The effectiveness of the distribution of subsidized fertilizers in Indramayu Regency is still experiencing problems at the beginning of the rice planting season. This study aims to analyze: timely and targeted aspects in distributing subsidized fertilizers, implementation of the Farmer’s Card, and strategies to increase the effectiveness of subsidized fertilizer distribution. The study was conducted in Indramayu Regency, 2020. Primary data were collected from respondents: 25 lowland rice farmers, 1 fertilizer stall and 1 fertilizer distributor. In addition, secondary data was also collected. Data analysis was carried out quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed: (1) Approximately 85% of farmer respondents stated that subsidized fertilizers were available at the stall when needed, and the rest stated that there were still delays; (2) Farmer’s Cards are one of the efforts to increase the effectiveness of subsidized fertilizer distribution, (3) Farmer’s Cards in Indramayu have been printed as many as 12, 771 farmer groups, and about 89.25% have been distributed. Strategies to increase the effectiveness of subsidized fertilizer distribution are: facilitation of subsidized fertilizer stall capital, especially those owned by farmer groups, increasing the implementation of Farmer’s Cards for subsidized fertilizer distribution and gradual improvement of the Electronic Data for the Definitive Plan for Group Needs.

This study examines how coordination, power, and interdependence shape regulatory governance in the decentralized edible bird’s nest (EBN) sector in Pulang Pisau, Indonesia. While decentralization is often associated with improved responsiveness and local adaptability, it frequently produces fragmented regulatory systems in which authority is distributed without effective coordination. Using an actor-centered qualitative design combined with the MACTOR method, this study analyzes influence–dependence relations, objective alignment, and coordination bottlenecks across key actors. The findings show that regulatory performance is shaped less by formal mandates than by relational positioning within the governance system. Actors controlling technical verification and documentary gateways occupy high-influence positions, while licensing authorities remain operationally dependent. Although most actors share common objectives—such as hygiene, quality assurance, and traceability—these are pursued through fragmented procedures, resulting in coordination failures and regulatory inequality. Producers bear the greatest compliance burdens despite having limited influence over regulatory processes. The study introduces the concept of relational administrative capacity to explain how decentralized governance outcomes depend on the alignment of authority, expertise, and procedural sequencing across interdependent actors. The findings suggest that improving regulatory performance requires strengthening coordination architectures rather than adding new rules.

Why do some organic farming systems persist while others collapse despite similar histories of collective action, policy support, and social legitimacy? This study examines how institutional design shapes the resilience of organic rice systems under conditions of market volatility and buyer power. Drawing on a qualitative comparative analysis of two subnational cases in rural Indonesia—Magelang and Tasikmalaya—Magelang experienced only 6–8% reversion to conventional rice (≈4.2 ha lost), while Tasikmalaya saw 32–38% reversion (≈13–17 ha). The study applies and extends the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to foreground market risk governance as a central explanatory variable. The findings show that sustainability depends less on collective organisation than on whether producer institutions function as risk-bearing actors. In Magelang, a farmer cooperative governed market relations through internal monopsony and buyer diversification, shifting market risk from individual households to the organisational level. In Tasikmalaya, reliance on an external monopsony concentrated risk outside producer control; when buyer demand weakened, risk was rapidly transferred to farmers, triggering institutional fragmentation and exit from organic production. By distinguishing internal from external monopsony, the study advances an institutional explanation of resilience in market-mediated sustainability transitions and suggests that policies should prioritise institutional capacity for market risk governance over certification or production technologies.