Assessing agricultural sustainability through economic, social, and ecology indicators: A case study in Luwu Regency, Indonesia

¹ Urban and Regional Pakuan University, 16680 Bogor, Indonesia
² Center for Regional System Analysis, Planning and Development (CrestPent)-IPB University, 16680 Bogor, Indonesia
³ College of Built Environment (CBE), UiTM Shah Alam, 50603 Selangor, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: mujio.pwk@unpak.ac.id

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture is not just a technological endeavour, but a social and ecological obligation to ensure food security, maintain environmental integrity, and foster inclusive rural development. This study evaluates agricultural sustainability in Luwu District, South Sulawesi, using a Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) approach across economic, social and environmental dimensions. The results revealed that the sustainability index values were relatively balanced: 53.74 (ecological), 51.86 (economic), and 49.04 (social), with an overall multidimensional index of 49.42. These findings indicate that while environmental and economic aspects have approached ‘moderate sustainability’ status, social sustainability is still slightly below the threshold, reflecting vulnerabilities in human capacity, social equity, and institutional strength. The leverage analysis identified limited access to credit, low productivity, poor market connectivity, gender disparities, and weak farmer group organizations as key constraints. The study recommends three strategic directions: (1) strengthening access to finance and innovation for farmers; (2) institutionalizing participatory agricultural extension with gender-sensitive approaches; and (3) promoting agroecological practices and diversified livelihoods to enhance resilience. These interventions are essential to transform agricultural development in Luwu from a productivity-driven model to an inclusive and sustainable system that empowers rural communities and safeguards natural resources.