Bridging gaps in rural resilience: smallholder farmers' perceptions of formal and community-based social assistance in Indonesia

Wahyudi Isnan (), Nurhaedah Muin, Iriani Iriani, Muhammad Alie Humaedi, Dian Diniyati, Andayani Listyawati and Aminudin Aminudin
Additional contact information
Wahyudi Isnan: National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Nurhaedah Muin: National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Iriani Iriani: National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Muhammad Alie Humaedi: National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Dian Diniyati: National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Andayani Listyawati: National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Aminudin Aminudin: Bogor Agricultural Development Polytechnic

Agricultural and Food Economics, 2025, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in Indonesia’s agricultural sector, contributing significantly to food security and rural livelihoods. However, their vulnerability to economic, social, and environmental risks necessitates external support, particularly through social assistance programs. While formal government assistance programs provide structured financial aid, community-based assistance mechanisms offer localized and culturally embedded support. The effectiveness of these programs is heavily influenced by smallholders' perceptions and acceptance. This study aims to explore smallholder farmers' perceptions of formal social assistance and community-based aid in Indonesia. It investigates the factors shaping these perceptions and their implications for policy and program development. The study was conducted in three representative provinces: West Sumatra, West Java, and South Sulawesi. Data were collected from 92 smallholder farmers through structured surveys assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on both forms of social assistance. Perception analysis was performed using a Likert scale to categorize responses. The findings indicate that smallholder farmers in the study area generally hold positive perceptions of both formal and community-based social assistance. Government social assistance is appreciated for its structured distribution and reliability, while community-based assistance is valued for its flexibility, social cohesion, and responsiveness to local needs. However, concerns regarding adequacy and fairness persist, particularly in government-led programs. Integrating formal and community-based assistance mechanisms could enhance social support effectiveness for smallholder farmers. To move beyond short-term relief, policies should consider establishing integrated community centers at the village level that link social assistance with agricultural extension, financial services, and cooperative initiatives. In addition, adopting a transformative approach that prioritizes women, youth, and smallholder farmers through participatory targeting and accountability mechanisms would strengthen inclusive and sustainable rural resilience in Indonesia.

Keywords: Smallholder farmers; Social assistance; Community-based aid; Perception analysis; Rural livelihoods; Indonesia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s40100-025-00415-0 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:13:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-025-00415-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nomics/journal/40100

DOI: 10.1186/s40100-025-00415-0

Access Statistics for this article

Agricultural and Food Economics is currently edited by Alessandro Banterle, Liesbeth Dries, Andrea Marchini and Carlo Russo

More articles in Agricultural and Food Economics from Springer, Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().