Beyond Digital Adoption: Digital Ecosystem Embeddedness and Food Security Resilience among Millennial Farmers in Island Communities

Siti Khairani; Zul Fadhly; Hengky Kosasih; Nasib Nasib; Siti Alhamra Salqaura

Authors

Siti Khairani Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
Zul Fadhly Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
Hengky Kosasih Institut Bisnis Informasi Teknologi dan Bisnis, Medan, Indonesia
Nasib Nasib Institut Bisnis Informasi Teknologi dan Bisnis, Medan, Indonesia
Siti Alhamra Salqaura Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords:

Digital Ecosystem Embeddedness; Agricultural Productivity; Food Security Resilience; Millennial Farmers; Island Regions; PLS-SEM

Abstract

Strengthening food security resilience in island regions requires a deeper understanding of how millennial farmers’ embeddedness in digital ecosystems contributes to agricultural productivity and food security resilience. This study examines the direct effect of Digital Ecosystem Embeddedness on Food Security Resilience and its indirect effect through Agricultural Productivity in South Nias Regency, Indonesia. An explanatory quantitative research design was employed, using primary data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 75 millennial farmers across five villages in South Nias Regency. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that Digital Ecosystem Embeddedness has a positive and statistically significant effect on Agricultural Productivity (β = 0.249, t = 2.921, p = 0.004) and Food Security Resilience (β = 0.254, t = 4.309, p < 0.001). However, the indirect effect of Digital Ecosystem Embeddedness on Food Security Resilience through Agricultural Productivity is not statistically significant (β = 0.108, t = 1.950, p = 0.051), indicating that Agricultural Productivity does not significantly mediate this relationship at the 5% significance level. These findings suggest that digital ecosystem embeddedness is directly associated with enhanced agricultural productivity and stronger food security resilience among millennial farmers, although the productivity-mediated pathway remains statistically unsupported. The study highlights the importance of strengthening digital agricultural ecosystems by expanding farmers’ access to information, markets, business networks, and productive resources to support food security resilience in geographically dispersed island communities.

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