Key variables for sustainable cut rose farming in Batu City, Indonesia

Abstract Currently, cut rose centers in Batu City face many problems that threaten the sustainability of their businesses. Research that combines various dimensions to identify key variables affecting the sustainability of cut rose farming remains limited and is needed. Hence, this study aimed to map and identify the key variables influencing the sustainability of cut rose farming in Batu City, East Java, Indonesia. Primary data were collected through structured interviews with 155 cut rose farmers, selected using random sampling. The employed data analysis technique was the Matrix of Crossed Impact Multiplications Applied to a Classification (MICMAC). The results showed that the key variables influencing the sustainability of the cut flower rose farming business in Batu City are pest and plant disease attacks (PPDA), the use of chemical pesticides (UCP), market objectives (MO), the market chain (MC), and the source of capital (SC). In addition, this study identified key and representative variables from four dimensions based on the Social-Ecological-Technological & Innovation Systems (SETIS) framework, namely extension intensity (social), educational level (social), market objectives (economic), market chain (economic), capital sources (economic), pest and plant disease attack (ecological), use of chemical pesticides (ecological), and cultivation technology (technology and innovation). The study’s recommendations are: (1) increasing the extension intensity and educational level (social dimension); (2) expanding market objectives, shortening market chains, and managing capital appropriately (economic dimension); (3) implementing integrated pest and disease management and limiting the use of chemical pesticides (ecological dimension); and (4) increasing the use of cultivation technologies (technology and innovation dimension).