Socio-economic Dimensions of Smallholder Beef Cattle Farming in Central Java, Indonesia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Socio-economic Dimensions of Smallholder Beef Cattle Farming in Central Java Section Articles

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the socio-economic dimensions of smallholder beef cattle (Bos indicus/Bos taurus) farming in Central Java, Indonesia. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a structured search of Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, Garuda, SINTA, AGRICOLA, and PubMed through October 2025 identified 42 eligible studies, 27 of which provided data for quantitative pooling under random-effects models. Beef-cattle enterprises were consistently profitable, with a pooled revenue-cost (R/C) ratio of 1.44 (95% CI: 1.36–1.52) and benefit-cost ratios ranging from 2.1 to 3.4; the enterprise contributed a mean of 27% of total household income and functioned primarily as a liquid savings and insurance asset (tabungan). Fattening, feedlot-cooperative, and crop-livestock integrated systems outperformed cow-calf breeding and gaduhan profit-share tenure. Meta-regression identified herd size, crop-livestock integration, farmer-group membership, formal credit (KUR) access, and adoption of artificial insemination as significant positive determinants of net income, whereas feed-cost share and distance to auction markets were the principal constraints. Thematic synthesis of the social dimension revealed an aging, low-education workforce, weak bargaining power against brokers (blantik), gendered labor patterns, and uneven benefits from public programs (UPSUS SIWAB, artificial insemination services, extension). Evidence certainty was moderate because of methodological heterogeneity (I² = 61%) and inconsistent reporting in primary studies. We conclude that integrating credit access, farmer-group strengthening, feed-cost efficiency, and market institutions offers the most robust pathway to improving both profitability and equity in Central Java’s smallholder beef-cattle sector.