Multidimensional sustainability assessment of local rice farming systems in Indonesia: Evidence from the Rojolele Srinuk variety

The local rice varieties have a significant role in maintaining food security, agricultural biodiversity, and livelihoods in rural Indonesia. Nevertheless, local rice farming systems are under pressure in terms of environmental management, technology adoption, and institutional support. This paper evaluates the sustainability status of the Rojolele Srinuk rice system in Klaten Regency, Indonesia, using a multidimensional framework that integrates the psychosocial, ecological, economic, technological, and institutional dimensions. Primary data were acquired using a Delphi-informed expert evaluation that included 35 specialists (farmers, agricultural extension representatives, rice mill producers, and seed sellers) from five sub-districts and analyzed using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), leverage analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation. The findings reveal that Rojolele Srinuk rice production is moderately sustainable, with a sustainability index of 54.5-59.0 across the five study locations. The psychosocial aspect performs relatively well, especially when agricultural extension services, farming experience, and local knowledge are involved. The performance of the ecological and economic dimensions is moderate, whereas the technological and institutional dimensions are relatively weak due to a lack of mechanization, marketing technology, and research support. Water and land conservation, farming income, marketing technology, and research support have been identified as sustainability drivers through leverage analysis. These results indicate a need to reinforce the use of technology and institutional alignment to improve the long-term sustainability of local rice farming systems in Indonesia and support food security policies.