Influence of Human Resource and Institutional Capacity of Farmer Groups on Sustainability of Hydroponic Farming in Kendari City - Indonesia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The agricultural sector is increasingly recognized not only as a driver of economic growth for rural farmers, but also as a sector with the potential to improve the welfare of urban communities. Urban farming using hydroponic systems has become a strategy for revitalizing agriculture in urban areas, as it does not require extensive land and utilizes soil as a growing medium. Hydroponic farming is an alternative to open-field farming, especially in areas with limited agricultural land, such as urban areas. Agricultural hydroponic systems require adequate human resource capacity and institutional capacity of implementing such agricultural systems. This study examined the influence of human resource capacity and institutional capacity of farmer groups on the sustainability of hydroponic farming. This study was conducted from August to November 2025. The sample size in this study was determined using saturated sampling. The entire population, totaling 35 hydroponic farmers, served as the sample. Data collection was done through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics with Partial Least Square (PLS). Partial Least Square analyzed the influence between the variables examined in this study. The results showed that the human resource capacity of hydroponic farmers, the institutional capacity of hydroponic farmer groups, and the sustainability of hydroponic farming in Kendari City was in the moderate category. This means that in general, the human resource capacity of hydroponic farmers, the institutional capacity of hydroponic farmer groups, and the sustainability of hydroponic farming in Kendari City are good but need to be improved further. The research also revealed that human resource capacity significantly and positively influenced the institutional capacity of hydroponic farmers. The higher the human resource capacity of hydroponic farmers, the higher the institutional capacity of the farmer group. The human resource capacity of hydroponic farmers and the institutional capacity of farmer groups significantly and positively influenced the sustainability of hydroponic farming. The higher the human resource capacity of hydroponic farmers and the institutional capacity of farmer groups, the greater the sustainability of hydroponic farming. Therefore, in order to increase the sustainability of hydroponic farming, efforts are needed to increase the human resource capacity of farmers and the institutional capacity of farmer groups in hydroponic farming. Key words: Human Resource, Capacity of Farmers, Institutional Capacity, Hydroponics, Agricultural Sustainability
Authors: L Nalefo L, Y Taufik, S Salahuddin
Institution: Universitas Halu Oleo
Language: English
Subfield: Urban Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $750
OpenAlex ID: W7202263073