A Model for the Development of the Seaweed Agro Industry in the Southeast Maluku District of Indonesia

Abstract

Here we aimed to create a model of seaweed agro-industry development in the Southeast Maluku district of Indonesia. Data collected from respondents (n = 250) included information related to agro-seaweed, seaweed farming, and seaweed product marketing. Data collection included primary and secondary data sources, while the methods of analysis used structure model equations. We tested eight factors that influence the development of agro-seaweed industries in the southeast Maluku regency, namely, raw materials, human resources, technology, markets, infrastructure, policy, institutional, and capital, and concluded that all proposed hypotheses are proved correct because the value critical ratio ≥ 1.96, only the facilities and infrastructure factors were identified as significantly affecting the development of an agro-seaweed facility in southeast Maluku. We also found that optimal development of an agro-business in southeast Maluku will depend on relevant local government support and require cooperation between the internal local government, academia, the private sector, and the public. Development of human resources through formal and informal education programs directed at local business and focused on seaweed-based products will help to build business continuity by avoiding collusion and nepotism. Increased cooperation will also be required between government, employers, and the fishery community to monitor the sustainability and environmental impacts of the seaweed agro-industry in this region.

Leverage Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Seaweed Agro-industry Development in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…Furthermore, increasing knowledge and skills of seaweed processing for local communities requires collaboration with research institutions and the development of appropriate technology (Blankenhorn, 2007;Ginigaddara et al, 2018). It agrees with Picaulima et al, (2016), stating that human resource development is required through formal and informal education programs directly associated with household-scale processing and processed products to help build business sustainability by avoiding nepotism and collusion. Simultaneously, the government should accelerate the preparation of basic infrastructure such as electricity, transportation infrastructure improvements, industrial estates complete with facilities and infrastructure to support increased production (van Den Burg et al, 2021), ease of doing business regulations, and maintain regional security stability.…”

“…Modification of the RAPFISH technique for the development of seaweed agro-industry was termed RAP-Seaweed. The dimensions used in the study of the sustainability of the development of the seaweed agro-industry were adapted from Picaulima et al, (2016), consisting of the dimensions of raw material management (natural resources), economy, social, technology, ethics (Lam, 2016) and institutions (Irfan et al, 2020), derived into several levels of sustainability. The analysis stages in the RAP-Seaweed technique as proposed by (Kavanagh & Pitcher, 2004) were as follows: 1.…”

“…In sustainable development, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation between the government as a facilitator, industrial workers, local communities, especially seaweed cultivators to monitor processing industry activities that will have an environmental impact in agro-industrial areas (Picaulima et al, 2016). The sustainability of a production system, especially in the processing of agricultural products, according to (Brissaud, Frein, & Rocchi, 2013), rests on three things: (1) production systems through the use of technological and Rural Development Research innovations (research) to produce high added-value products; (2) linkages between subsystems in the production system; and (3) collaboration of actors, either directly or indirectly in the production system.…”

“…The low quality of coastal water results from mining activities on land, which during the rainy season, surface water flows bring the soil to the coast and cause turbidity (Campbell et al, 2019). These problems indicate that the inhibiting factors for the implementation of seaweed industrialization are caused by multidimensional factors, such as aquaculture environment, cultivation technology (Buschmann et al, 2017), distribution channels and logistics, availability of processing industry, institutional support (government and marketing), and the unintegrated activities among seaweed business actors (Picaulima, Hamid, Ngamel, & Teniwut, 2016).…”