S. Silviaa, Nurhasan Syahab, Elsa Yuniarti, Fajar Agung Mulia
Agriculture is a vital sector in the Indonesian economy that continues to face challenges in efforts to increase productivity while managing Plant Pest Organisms (OPT) effectively. Pesticide use has become widespread practice among farmers, but excessive and unwise application causes significant environmental and health impacts. This study aims to analyze the hierarchical structure of factors influencing pesticide use in Agam Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia, using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to identify key drivers and establish intervention priorities for sustainable pesticide management. The research employed a qualitative descriptive method with ISM approach, involving in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions with 5 stakeholders including farmers, agricultural extension workers, health service officers, academics, and environmental officers in Padang Lua Village, Banuhampu District. Secondary data were obtained from relevant government agencies. The ISM analysis identified 9 key factors organized in 7 hierarchical levels: local government policies (E5), storage and distribution infrastructure (E8), role of agricultural extension workers (E4), farmers' knowledge (E1), pesticide prices (E3), economic pressure on farmers (E7), pesticide availability (E2), health and environmental awareness (E9), and access to environmentally friendly technology information (E6). The Driver Power-Dependence Matrix revealed that local government policy is the strongest independent driver with the highest driving power (9) and lowest dependence (1), positioning it as the primary leverage point for systemic change. Agricultural extension workers emerged as strategic implementers with linkage characteristics, while farmers' knowledge functions as a critical linkage element highly sensitive to system changes. The hierarchical structure provides a clear roadmap for phased intervention strategies, beginning with comprehensive policy formulation, followed by capacity strengthening of extension workers, and culminating in farmer knowledge improvement programs. These findings offer actionable insights for policymakers to design targeted, sustainable pesticide management strategies that balance agricultural productivity with environmental protection and public health in Agam Regency and similar agricultural contexts. © 2025 The Authors,This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Graduate School, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia; Fort De Kock University, West Sumatera, Bukittinggi, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia; Research Centre of Population and Environment, Universitas Negeri Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia
