Improving food crop production is critical for achieving food security. The Food Estate (FE) program initiated by the government seeks to accomplish this through extensive and intensive farming practices while taking sustainability into consideration. In this paper, a multidimensional scaling (MDS) approach to determine the status and model of agricultural sustainability of the FE program was adopted. Three scenarios were developed to improve the sustainability status based on primary data from interviews with 50 farmers in Ria-Ria Village, Pollung District, North Sumatra. The findings indicate that the farming status is at a moderate sustainability, and improving all aspects can significantly increase the sustainability value. The study suggests that the government should prioritize the improvement of all aspects to raise the sustainability status of FE farming in order to achieve food security.

The Indonesian government has designated the Lake Toba area as one of the super-priority tourism destinations, leading to substantial investments and programmes to boost tourist visits. However, the development of agritourism must consider sustainability, which aligns with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As such, the development of agritourism in Meat Village requires careful attention to various aspects of sustainability. Correspondingly, this study aims to determine the sustainability status and value, identify factors influencing sustainability, and illustrate sustainability strategy designs. The research utilised primary data obtained through interviews with several stakeholders, including farmers, VillageOwned Enterprises (BUMDes), local society members, local government officials, local community groups, and tourists. Furthermore, the analysis employed the Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) approach with the aid of Multiple-Aspect Sustainability Analysis (MSA) software. Five sustainability aspects with a total of 50 factors were identified. The study revealed that agritourism is at a moderate level of sustainability. Meanwhile, the economic and institutional aspects scored 50, the environmental aspect scored 77.27, the marketing aspect scored 60, and the cultural aspect scored 50. In addition, this study illustrated sustainable designs through scenario simulations and the results demonstrated an increase in sustainability to 72.15. Overall the illustrated designs can serve as alternatives for the government to enhance the sustainability of agritourism in Meat Village.

Fertilizer application is a crucial aspect of agricultural practices, especially for horticultural crops like cauliflower. Humbang Hasundutan Regency, a key horticultural hub in North Sumatra Province, has been significantly affected by rising chemical fertilizer costs, placing a financial strain on farmers. This study aimed to evaluate three fertilization strategies in terms of cost-efficiency, effectiveness, and their potential to reduce chemical fertilizer expenses. Using an experimental method, primary data were collected over one growing season to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of each experiment. Results showed that combining chemical and organic fertilizers improved cost-efficiency but did not enhance production effectiveness. Specifically, a 50:50 blend of chemical and organic fertilizers reduced fertilizer costs by IDR 1,468,400 per hectare. These findings indicate that incorporating organic fertilizers can be a viable approach for farmers to lower input costs and potentially improve farm sustainability.

The social sustainability impact of the Food Estate Program has been the subject of extensive research, providing an evaluation assessment of social, economic, and environmental aspects. However, there has been a paucity of research examining the farmers surrounding the Food Estate Program in greater detail, especially regarding its social impacts. The present study employs the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to analyze the social impacts. The S-LCA is a methodological approach that utilizes primary data from various stakeholders, including farmers, governments, farmer groups, and the broader community. The objective of this study is threefold: first, to ascertain the social criteria employed to evaluate the social impact of strategic commodity farming; second, to examine the experiences and expectations of stakeholders concerning farming activities from a social perspective; and third, to identify the aspects of social sustainability in strategic commodity farming. The findings indicate that the social impact category that exerts the most significant influence on agricultural practices is that of socio-economic factors. Of the five social impact categories, only human rights and socio-economics demonstrate conditions that surpass the expected range. To achieve social sustainability, stakeholders in the strategic commodity farming system must collaborate to establish effective governance.