Social Capital, Religious Family Governance, and Food Security

This chapter explores how social ties, faith-based family rules, and agricultural extension services shape food security and poverty in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It uses surveys and in-depth interviews carried out between 2020 and 2025. The quantitative analysis links extension quality to farmers' soft skills, teamwork, money management, and levels of absolute poverty. The qualitative evidence from low-income households, community leaders, NGOs, and local officials shows how these patterns appear in everyday decisions about work, spending, and sharing food. The findings suggest that extension helps most when it builds confidence, cooperation, and problem-solving, not only when it transfers technology. Religious-based family management and strong silaturahim reduce wasteful consumption and strengthen informal safety nets. The chapter closes with practical suggestions for food security programs that prioritize poor households.