Volume 12, Issue 1 (January 2025), Pages: 141-153
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Original Research Paper
Women’s role in supporting the sustainability of smallholder coffee plantations in North Sumatra, Indonesia
Author(s):
Tri Martial 1, *, Yusniar Lubis 1, Siswa Panjang Hernosa 1, Ahmad Rizki Harahap 2, Mulia Jaya 3, Muhammad Arief Tirtana 4, Fahman Urdawi Nasution 5
Affiliation(s):
1Department of Agriculture, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia
2Department of Economics, Universitas Deli Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia
3Department of Social and Politics, Universitas Muara Bungo, Jambi, Indonesia
4Department of Economics, Universitas Sumatra Utara, Medan, Indonesia
5Department of Law, Universitas Deli Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia
Full text
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* Corresponding Author.
Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7096-2844
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.01.014
Abstract
This study examines the role of women in managing coffee plantations in traditional North Sumatra communities and its impact on household income, amidst restrictions imposed by the Dalihan Natolu system, a patrilineal tradition limiting their land rights and decision-making power. Using descriptive quantitative methods and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from six coffee-producing districts to analyze women’s rights to land, crops, and income. The findings reveal that women’s land tenure positively influences their rights to crops and income, emphasizing the need for secure land rights to enhance economic empowerment. Despite their significant contributions to coffee production, cultural norms marginalize women in land ownership, limiting their potential to improve household income. The study calls for institutional and policy reforms to address gender inequality, enhance women’s access to land and decision-making authority, and promote sustainable agricultural practices in smallholder coffee plantations, ultimately contributing to economic development and gender equity.
© 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords
Women’s land rights, Coffee plantation management, Economic empowerment, Gender inequality, Sustainable agriculture
Article history
Received 15 August 2024, Received in revised form 20 December 2024, Accepted 7 January 2025
Acknowledgment
No Acknowledgment.
Compliance with ethical standards
Ethical considerations
Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and confidentiality was maintained throughout the study. The research adhered to ethical guidelines and respected local cultural norms, ensuring no harm to participants or disruption to the community.
Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Citation:
Martial T, Lubis Y, Hernosa SP, Harahap AR, Jaya M, Tirtana MA, and Nasution FU (2025). Women’s role in supporting the sustainability of smallholder coffee plantations in North Sumatra, Indonesia. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(1): 141-153
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Figures
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Tables
Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8
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