Unveiling Invisible Stakeholders in Seaweed Supply Chains and Their Strategic Influence on Coastal Economic Resilience

Coastal seaweed supply chains are often examined through visible formal actors, overlooking the strategic roles of invisible stakeholders in sustaining local economic resilience. This qualitative case study was conducted in three Indonesian coastal villages with 24 purposively selected informants, including farmers, intermediaries, and community leaders. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observations, and field documentation, then analyzed using actor and thematic network analysis. Informal actors were found to stabilize distribution flows, reduce farmers’ economic risks, and develop adaptive systems rooted in social trust, absent in formal market structures. The study broadens supply chain perspectives and highlights the need for inclusive, socially grounded strategies in sustainable coastal development policy.