Social Construction of Young Farmers in Developing Pineapple Agribus in Kediri Regency, East Java Province, Indonesia

This study uses social construction theory to (1) analyze young farmers' understanding of pineapple agribusiness development activities. (2). Analyzing the process of the social construction of young farmers in pineapple agribusiness development. (3) Analyzing the actions of young farmers in developing pineapple agribusiness according to their social construction. This research paradigm uses the social definition paradigm based on social construction theory. This research used a qualitative approach and phenomenological research type. The research location is in Kediri Regency, Indonesia. The research informants consisted of young farmers cultivating pineapples, members or administrators of farmer groups, pineapple traders, sellers of pineapple production facilities, and other informants as needed according to the directions of the informants encountered before. The informant determination technique was carried out by snowball sampling, and the data were collected through in-depth interviews and observations. The data is analyzed through data collection, condensation, presentation, and drawing conclusions or verification. Young farmers see pineapple agribusiness development as efforts to develop better livelihoods to address the weaknesses of their pineapple cultivation business processes that have been going on for generations. Young farmers understand that developing a pineapple agribusiness requires development for cultivation, broader marketing, and stronger institutions. The social construction of young farmers in pineapple agribusiness development occurs through two-ways communication in the form of externalization, objectivation, and internalization. There has been externalization among young farmers in developing pineapple agribusiness since 1976. The pineapple business has been passed down from generation to generation but has developed in line as young farmers started to have two-way communication with their social environment. They realized the significance of the development of pineapple agribusiness. The intersubjective experience of young farmers in developing pineapple agribusiness is represented by the institutionalization of various activities in pineapple cultivation, marketing, processing, and supporting activities. Formal institutions and organizations are created in the form of farmer groups, combined farmer groups, Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDES), home industries, and the participation of young farmers as the main drivers of pineapple agribusiness development. The process of internalizing young farmers for these purposes is by re-absorbing other farmers' experiences. They are attached to social behavior as they must accept the reality social environment's rules, visions, goals, and expectations. Young farmers develop pineapple agribusiness by improving cultivation techniques better than their predecessors. Developmental actions that have been carried out include improving nurseries, improving pest control, and uniforming the ripening time for pineapples. They also improve plant varieties by planting varieties that are superior in producing, marketing, and processing pineapples so they can expand their social or pineapple business network.