The Role of Social Capital, Farmers’ Creativity, and Social Support in Enhancing Melon Farmers’ Resilience in Gunungkidul Regency
Author (s)
Lusi Handayani, Erlyna Wida Riptanti, & Nuning Setyowati
Abstract
In Indonesia, farmers in Gunungkidul Regency are facing water scarcity, thin soils, pests, and price volatility in melon farming on karst soil; therefore, farmer resilience is a must. This study explores the role of social capital, farmer creativity, and social support in farmers’ resilience in the context of melon farming. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used in the analysis of a quantitative explanatory survey of 180 melon farmers sampled proportionately among the eight melon-producing subdistricts. The measurement model was composed of 17 indicators and met the criteria for convergent validity, reliability, and discriminant validity. The perceived resilience was very high (mean 4.32 out of 5), and most farmers relied on self-assembled drip irrigation, plastic mulching, organic and dolomite amendments, crop rotation, and high-value varieties. Farmer creativity was the only significant predictor of resilience (β = 0.154, p = 0.041, f² = 0.023), whereas social capital (β = 0.093, p = 0.242) and social support (β = 0.118, p = 0.121) were not significant. The model accounted for 7.4% of the variance in resilience, suggesting that the unmeasured structural factors (water access, liquid capital, and market linkages) are also important. The results indicated that bonding social capital and fragmented support do not buffer karst-based commercial melon farms, but technical innovation by farmers does. The study contributes to policies that can scale up water-saving innovations, build farmer groups as collective marketing and credit institutions, and link them up to formal buyers.
Keywords: Farmer resilience, Social capital, Farmer creativity, Social support, Melon, Karst, PLS-SEM, Gunungkidul.
| Title: | The Role of Social Capital, Farmers’ Creativity, and Social Support in Enhancing Melon Farmers’ Resilience in Gunungkidul Regency |
|---|---|
| Author: | Lusi Handayani, Erlyna Wida Riptanti, & Nuning Setyowati |
| Journal Name: | International Journal of Science and Business |
| Website: | ijsab.com |
| ISSN: | ISSN 2520-4750 (Online), ISSN 2521-3040 (Print) |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.58970/IJSB.2724 |
| Media: | Online |
| Volume: | 54 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Issue publication (Year): | 2026 |
| Acceptance Date: | 01/11/2026 |
| Date of Publication: | 03/11/2026 |
| PDF URL: | http://ijsab.com/wp-content/uploads/2724.pdf |
| Free download: | Available |
| Page: | 146-162 |
| First Page: | 146 |
| Last Page: | 162 |
| Paper Type: | Research Paper |
| Current Status: | Published |
Cite This Article:
Handayani, L., Riptanti, E. W., & Setyowati, N. (2026). The Role of Social Capital, Farmers’ Creativity, and Social Support in Enhancing Melon Farmers’ Resilience in Gunungkidul Regency, International Journal of Science and Business, 54(1), 146-162. https://doi.org/10.58970/IJSB.2724
About Author (s)
Lusi Handayani, Student of Master’s Program in Agribusiness, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2406-6272
Erlyna Wida Riptanti (Corresponding Author), Master’s Program in Agribusiness, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9275-9265
Nuning Setyowati, Master’s Program in Agribusiness, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2092-5492
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58970/IJSB.2724
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