Farmer Group Participation with Social Capital in Enhancing Technical Capacity, Economic, and Social Empowerment of Cattle Farmers

Abstract

Livestock farmer groups serve as a critical institutional platform to enhance the resilience and empowerment of smallholder beef cattle producers, especially amid Indonesia’s structural agrarian transformation triggered by the development of Ibu Kota Nusantara. This study aimed to evaluate the role of farmer group participation and multidimensional social capital bonding, bridging, and linking in building technical capacity and achieving economic and social empowerment among cattle farmers in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. Using a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling approach, tested a structural model involving 30 cattle farmers who were actively participating in farmer groups. Social capital constructs were operationalized through validated indicators, and data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The model revealed that participation (β =0.250, p< 0.05), bridging (β =0.352, p< 0.01), and linking social capital (β = 0.418, p < 0.01) significantly improved farmers’ technical capacity, which in turn strongly predicted empowerment (β = 0.651, p<0.001). Bonding social capital had no significant effect (β = -0.081, p > 0.10), suggesting its limited role in driving innovation. The findings emphasize that empowerment is not solely achieved through solidarity but through knowledge acquisition, institutional linkages, and outward-oriented networks. The novelty lies in simultaneously integrating all three social capital dimensions within a single tested model. Policy recommendations include institutionalizing roles for external engagement, strengthening horizontal and vertical linkages, and leveraging digital tools for capacity development. These findings provide empirical insights into designing multidimensional empowerment strategies that can elevate farmer groups from subsistence-oriented units to become agents of food security and rural transformation.