Send message to Author

Paper short abstract

Peer learning and local leadership drive adaptive practices and climate resilience in banana farming under weak extension support. This study identifies enabling and constraining factors, including gender norms, and introduces narrative leadership as key for scaling Good Agricultural Practices.

Paper long abstract

Obstacles in banana cultivation including pest and disease pressures, climate change, inadequate practices, and limited extension support significantly reduce yields in smallholder systems. Peer learning and local leadership are recognised as critical for innovation adoption, yet their roles in adaptive practices remain underexplored in marginal contexts where formal extension is absent. This study examines how peer learning operates among banana farmers under weak extension conditions and (2) the enabling and constraining factors shaping these processes. A qualitative, interpretive case study was conducted using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and field observations across farmer groups in Gunungkidul and Bantul Regencies, Indonesia. Findings reveal that peer learning extends beyond technical knowledge exchange to include relational and narrative processes that foster trust and sustain engagement. Leadership acted as a catalyst for adaptive learning, reframing priorities from harvest outcomes to maintenance practices and legitimising experimentation despite technical failures. Demonstration farms functioned as learning spaces but were constrained by resource limitations, while gender norms and digital divides restricted women’s participation in decision-making. The study contributes theoretically by introducing the concept of collective justification cycles and reframing leadership as a narrative and trust-building mechanism within peer learning systems. Practically, strengthening local leadership and participatory research mechanisms is essential for scaling inclusive Good Agricultural Practices and enhancing resilience in smallholder banana farming.

Keywords: peer learning, narrative leadership, collective justification, adaptive practice, demonstration farm