JRSSEM 2022, Vol. 01, No. 10, 1748 – 1754

E-ISSN: 2807 - 6311, P-ISSN: 2807 - 6494

DOI : 10.36418/jrssem.v1i10.168 https://jrssem.publikasiindonesia.id/index.php/jrssem/index

EMPOWERMENT OF MILLENNIAL FARMERS IN

INCREASING FARMERS WELFARE IN THE INDUSTRIAL

4.0 ERA AND TOWARDS THE SOCIETY 5.0 ERA

Zulpardiasyah

Budi Eko

1,2

Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia

e-mail: zulpardisyah99@gmail.com

, budi.eko.fe@um.ac.id

*Correspondence: zulpardisyah99@gmail.com

Submitted: 27 April 2022, Revised: 10 May 2022, Accepted: 20 May 2022

Abstract. Indonesia as an agricultural country seems to be disappearing soon, but this situation is

supported by the decline in the number of young farmers due to the subsequent activation of

farmers. This research aims to improve welfare and create digital technology innovations in the

role of young entrepreneurs in the millennial agricultural community. The method used is a

literature review study method with a qualitative approach. The literature review method was

chosen because it can be seen from the location of data collection. Based on the research results,

revolution means very fast change. This revolution began with the Industrial Revolution 1.0 which

was marked by the creation of the steam engine. This means the emergence of tools that change

the power of humans and animals. Finally, Industry 4.0 has arrived. It is characterized by intelligent

engineering, human-machine connectivity, and the Internet as the foundation of progress. Some

call the Industrial Era 4.0 an era of turmoil.

Keywords: millennial; increasing; digital technology innovations.

Zulpardiasyah, Budi Eko

| 1749

DOI : 10.36418/jrssem.v1i10.168 https://jrssem.publikasiindonesia.id/index.php/jrssem/index

INTRODUCTION

Indonesia as an agricultural country

looks like it will soon be lost, this situation

is supported by the reduction of young

farmers as the next farmer regeneration.

Indonesia, which is known as a fertile

country, is expected to experience a

condition where Indonesia will experience

a crisis in the next ten to fifteen years. In

fact, for the past three years, farmers in

Indonesia have begun to decrease, this is

due to the community's stigma that the

agricultural profession is less promising,

thus making young people reluctant to

become farmers, which is then decreasing

year after year. The majority of farmers in

Indonesia have narrower land tenure even

less than one hectare, besides that there

are still many factors that make it difficult

for them to prosper so that it is difficult for

small farmers to develop and need other

breakthroughs to overcome this problem.

Farmer transformation is urgently needed.

Households in which at least one family has

one person working in the agricultural

sector are called Farmer Households (RTP).

Based on the results of the 2018 census, it

was stated that around 27 million people

are small farmers who own about 0.5

hectares of land, especially on the island of

Java, which is around 0.3 hectares.

Although land ownership is small, the role

of farmers is very important in meeting

food needs. These farmers are instrumental

in meeting the national food needs. Even

though the farmers are loyal in farming on

the grounds that they are forced to meet

their daily needs. Thus, farmers must pay

attention to get a reasonable income to

achieve a better life. Farmers to obtain

sufficient yields must have at least one

hectare of land, and even then only earn an

average income. Several factors make it

difficult for farmers to prosper, including

markets that are difficult to penetrate

directly by farmers so that farmers can only

plant but cannot sell, difficulty in getting

capital to run a business, supply change and

constraints in human resources. To improve

welfare, the role of the younger generation

is urgently needed for the millennial farmer

community with an entrepreneurial spirit,

making digital technology innovations.

METHODS

This research uses a literature review

research method with a qualitative

approach. This can be seen from the

location of the data collection so that the

literature review method was chosen

(Harahap, 2017). This literature review is a

data collection technique by conducting

literature studies, reviewing books, notes,

and reports that have a relationship with

the study being studied. Although in a

study, of course, it cannot be separated

from library research, be it field research or

literature review. However, the most basic

difference is in research with a literature

review method, journals, books, reports,

and the like are used in the main data

collection (Yahya, 2015). Then the

qualitative approach is defined as an

approach that focuses on a deeper

understanding of a research problem

formulation (Husni, 2016). This research

using a qualitative approach is expected to

provide comprehensive facts regarding the

empowerment of millennial farmers in

improving the welfare of farmers in the

Zulpardiasyah, Budi Eko
 
                                                                                                       | 1750 
industrial  4.0  era  and  towards  society  5.0 
(Klimova & Pikhart, 2019). 
The  data  collection  technique  was 
carried out by exploring journals and other 
information  relevant  to  the  study.  The 
journals  used  are  searched  on  Google 
Scholar and several other journal provider 
websites  using  a  writing  format,  some  of 
which  are  millennial  farmers,  farmer 
welfare, farmers in the industrial era, and so 
on.  After  exploring  journals,  books,  and 
other information, an analysis is carried out 
which  is  then  used  in  making  reports  or 
journals using the literature review research 
method (Chu, 2015). 
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
The era of society 5.0 
Revolution  means  a  very  fast  change. 
This  revolution  began  with  the  industrial 
revolution  1.0  which  was  marked  by  the 
creation of the steam engine, meaning the 
emergence  of  tools  that  convert  human 
and animal power. After that, came the 2.0 
revolution  marked  by  the  emergence  of 
electricity use. Then the 3.0 revolution was 
marked  by  the  use  of  computerization. 
Finally,  it came  to  Industry  4.0  which  was 
marked by intelligent engineering, human 
and machine connectivity, and the internet 
as the foundation of progress (Sasikirana & 
Herlambang, 2020). 
Currently,  the  term  industry  4.0  is  no 
longer foreign to the ears of the Indonesian 
people. There  are also those who  call the 
industrial  era  4.0  the  era  of  disruption 
(Sabri,  2019).  In  this  era,  all  circles,  both 
society and government, are competing in 
the  use  of  technology  and  information 
systems in various aspects of life (Setiawan 
& Lenawati, 2020). In the industrial era 4.0, 
it  is  no  longer difficult  to  use  and  access 
information  technology.  This  information 
technology continues to be transformed by 
becoming  increasingly  sophisticated,  so 
that  its  sophistication  can  provide 
convenience for all levels of society in this 
era  of  globalization  (Mumtaha  &  Khoiri, 
2019). 
The  development  of  globalization 
which  is  marked  by  the  development  of 
technology,  information,  and 
communication  causes  changes  in  digital 
technology  which  also  changes  the 
industrial  order.  The  more  advanced  and 
developing  various  human-designed 
technologies that bring significant changes 
to  human  life  itself.  This  technological 
change  is  expected  to  be  a  solution  to 
social problems, as  well as  to replace  the 
physical  work  done  by  humans.  Starting 
from that, Japan developed a core concept 
of  the  5th  Science  and  Technology  Basic 
Plan called Society 5.0  after the industrial 
era 4.0 (Sugiono, 2020). 
Industry  4.0  has  become  a  significant 
change  for  human  life  in  various  aspects. 
Industry 4.0 does not develop alone but by 
humans who continue to process. That way, 
industry 4.0 and humans have a reciprocal 
relationship that must be maintained. Then 
comes a new concept that has developed 
so  that  it  can  take  advantage  of  existing 
information technology to improve welfare. 
This is what is called society 5.0. Society 5.0 
is  a  concept  that  places  humans  as  the 
center of innovation, in contrast to industry 
4.0  which  focuses  on  the  production 
process  only  (Usmaedi,  2021).  Society 5.0 
does  not  only  focus  on  manufacturing 
factors but  on  solving  social problems by 

1751 | Empowerment of Millennial Farmers in Increasing Farmers Welfare in the Industrial 4.0

Era and Towards the Society 5.0 Era

integrating physical and non-physical

spaces (Nastiti & Ni’mal‘Abdu, 2020).

Welfare of farmers in the industrial era

Low labor productivity is one of the

main problems of human resources (HR) in

the agricultural sector. The low productivity

in the agricultural sector indicates that the

resulting production is not commensurate

with the workforce. In the agricultural

sector, the majority of them are old farmers

with low education. Regeneration of

farmers is an unresolved matter, caused by

the interest of the younger generation in

working in the agricultural sector (Yofa &

Syahyuti, 2020).

The millennial generation is growing

along with the development of information

and communication technology.

Millennials use technology in all aspects of

life. The development of information

technology is expected to be able to

participate as a solution in improving

people's welfare. However, with the

millennial generation's lack of interest in

the agricultural sector, the welfare of the

community is silent and even continues to

decline.

Millennial farmers

One sector that has an important role in

Indonesia is the agricultural sector. In the

agricultural sector in Indonesia, there are

approximately one hundred million people

who work so they should be able to spur

themselves to increase agricultural

production. Agriculture is one of the

important sectors, this must be

accompanied by technological

developments as well. However, the use of

technology in the agricultural sector has

not been used optimally. Coupled with the

decline in production results due to

weather and seed quality, even though

providing sufficient food for the

community is the task of the agricultural

sector. In the era of the development of

information and communication

technology which has developed quite

rapidly but there are still few people who

can use it properly due to a lack of minimal

knowledge. So it has not been maximized

in its use, especially in the agricultural

sector. The traditional method is a method

that is still widely used by farmers, but of

course there is also the possibility of

farmers starting to enter the realm of

millennial farmers (Yofa & Syahyuti, 2020).

The Ministry of Agriculture initiated

millennial farmers which is expected to be

one of the solutions in overcoming the slow

regeneration of farmers. This millennial

farmer is considered to be a liaison

between young farmers and old farmers.

However, agriculture is synonymous with

poverty which causes the younger

generation to be reluctant to work in the

agricultural sector (Haryanto et al., 2022);

(Inwood et al., 2013) revealed that the

majority of today's young generation who

are children of farmers do not want to

continue their business in agriculture like

their parents. There are two factors in the

decline of the millennial generation in the

agricultural sector, namely internal factors

and internal factors. Internal or internal

factors, the millennial generation assumes

that the profession in agriculture is not a

prestigious profession so they like work

outside the agricultural sector. Then the

external factor is the fragmentation of

agricultural land due to the inheritance

Zulpardiasyah, Budi Eko

| 1752

system. Thus, when a land is inherited, it is

sold and converted by the new owner to

non-agricultural uses (Francis et al., 2012).

Another reason is the perspective, the

perspective of the younger generation has

begun to change along with the

development of the era as it is today. The

younger generation in rural areas, jobs in

agriculture are getting less and less

interested. The crisis of young farmers has

an impact on the sustainability of the

agricultural sector, more specifically on

agricultural products, market

competitiveness, the economy in rural

areas, thus threatening national security

and the sustainability of the agricultural

sector (Ayu & Nauly, 2020).

The Role of Millennial Farmers in

Improving Welfare The

Regeneration of the main players in the

agricultural sector is running very slowly, so

that serious treatment is needed, the cause

is none other than the faster industrial

development. The regeneration of farmers

is reflected in the interest of the younger

generation in the agricultural sector.

However, all countries in the world who

want to stay in the agricultural sector need

to prepare early on for sustainable

regeneration that loves agriculture because

almost all food around the world is the

result of cultivated land and livestock

grazing (Fischer et al., 2010). For this

reason, the lack of regeneration in the

agricultural sector is a food crisis caused by

an imbalance between food availability and

population. Scarcity of food which has an

impact on rising food prices on the market

(Konyep, 2021).

Many workers from the agricultural

sector need to be protected and promoted.

However, in reality there are still many

workers who work in this agricultural sector

experiencing poverty (Konyep, 2021).

Poverty is closely related to welfare, if a

community is poor then it is not

prosperous. Welfare is reflected in the

fulfillment of basic needs and increased

purchasing power (Yacoub & Mutiaradina,

2020). Thus, the presence of millennial

farmers is expected to bring changes to the

welfare of the community.

CONCLUSIONS

The lack of interest of the younger

generation in the agricultural sector has

become a serious problem and requires

more attention because the agricultural

sector has a significant influence on the

economy in Indonesia. In this way, the

presence of millennial farmers becomes a

new hope for the Indonesian economy. The

economic sector is closely related to

welfare, so that millennial farmers are

expected to further improve the welfare of

all Indonesian people in the industrial era

4.0 and towards the era of society 5.0.

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