Agricultural Downstreaming and Socio-Economic Resilience of Farmers in Buru Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Agricultural downstreaming in Buru Regency, Maluku, Indonesia, has the potential to enhance rural welfare and contribute to national food security. However, its implications for rural social structures remain insufficiently understood. This study employs a qualitative phenomenological approach to examine how farming communities adapt their practices, social relations, and value systems to this downstream-oriented transformation. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 30 purposively selected informants and analysed using thematic analysis in MAXQDA 24. The findings reveal a structural shift from mechanical to organic solidarity, characterised by increasing role specialisation and interdependence. Cultural rationalisation also promotes Gesellschaft-type social relations, as formal, contract-based labour arrangements increasingly replace traditional community-based interactions. Despite these pressures, farmers exercise individual agency and mobilise social capital in supply-chain negotiations. These adaptive mechanisms contribute to socio-economic resilience through product diversification and perceived income stability. The study is limited by the absence of empirical financial data and ecological impact assessments, as well as by unequal access to digital technologies among farmers. Future research should further examine sustainability and digitalisation to determine how agricultural downstreaming can enhance economic resilience while mitigating the erosion of social capital under increasing market pressures.