Synergizing Policies and Farmers’ Willingness in Arable Land Protection for Food Security in East Java Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the role of Farmers’ Willingness in Arable Land Protection Cooperation (FWALPC) as a key factor influencing food security, taking into account the impact of government propaganda, government regulations, subsidy policies, ecological benefits, economic benefits, and social benefits. The study employs a quantitative survey method involving 200 farmers from key agricultural regions, and the data is analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the direct and indirect relationships between variables. The findings reveal that FWALPC has a significant impact on food security and serves as a crucial mediating variable linking external factors to food security outcomes. Factors such as government propaganda, social benefits, and subsidy policies significantly influence food security both directly and indirectly, whereas ecological and economic benefits contribute more indirectly through FWALPC. Conversely, government regulations significantly affect FWALPC but do not show a direct significant impact on food security. This study makes a theoretical contribution by highlighting the importance of FWALPC as a connector between external factors and food security, while emphasizing incentive-based approaches, effective communication campaigns, and strengthening farmers’ social networks as strategies to enhance their participation in land protection. These findings offer practical insights for policymakers in designing sustainable land protection policies to support food security. Moreover, the results underscore the importance of a holistic approach that integrates policy, ecological, social, and economic factors to strengthen food security through farmer participation in agricultural land protection.