ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Commun.
Sec. Multimodality of Communication
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2025.1620706
Meaning-Making in Multimodal Spaces: The Role of YouTube in Promoting Organic Farming Practices in Indonesia
Provisionally accepted
- 1IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
- 2Universitas Pamulang, Banten, Indonesia
- 3Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang, Karawang, Indonesia
- 4University of the Philippines Open, Los Banos, Philippines
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Digital platforms are transforming agricultural education in developing countries, yet their role in promoting sustainable farming practices remains understudied. This research examined how YouTube facilitates knowledge transfer and behavioral change in Indonesian organic farming communities. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed 1,391 viewer comments from three popular composting tutorial channels and identified distinct multimodal communication strategies. Content creators employed three pedagogical identities: Scientific Demonstrator (technical precision with accessibility), Faith-Based Pragmatist (religious framing with practical guidance), and Community Motivator (collective storytelling with emotional support). Statistical analysis revealed significant variations in viewer engagement patterns (χ² = 23.06, p < 0.001), with faith-based approaches generating the highest behavioral change reports (26%). Qualitative analysis uncovered six interconnected meaning-making processes—acceptance, transformation, restoration, appreciation, enactment, and identity reconstruction—that mediate the transition from digital exposure to practice adoption. The Indonesian concept of "balas budi" (reciprocal obligation) emerged as a cultural factor shaping engagement dynamics. Findings demonstrate that effective digital agricultural education requires pedagogical plurality rather than standardization, with different approaches serving distinct learning needs. This research provides evidence that YouTube can catalyze sustainable agricultural transitions when content This is a provisional file, not the final typeset article aligns with local cultural values and addresses psychological barriers to adoption, offering a scalable model for digital agricultural extension services across Southeast Asia.
Keywords: informal learning, Media effect, Organic farming, Virtual learning, youtube
Received: 30 Apr 2025; Accepted: 16 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sarwoprasodjo, Mardiansyah, Susanto, Flor and Lubis. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sarwititi Sarwoprasodjo, sarwititi@apps.ipb.ac.id
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