Sustainability Strategies for the Bali Cattle Breeding Program in South Sulawesi: Using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) Approach

This study aimed to identify sustainability strategies for the Bali cattle purification program in South Sulawesi. The study employed an Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) approach based on an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The research was conducted in April 2026 in Barru Regency. The location was purposively selected because it served as the center of Bali cattle purification in South Sulawesi. The research method employed Focus Group Discussions (FGD) involving five experts. The data obtained were subsequently analyzed using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method. The variables examined included Market Support, Government Support, Social Organization Support, Attitudes, Subjective Norms, Behavioral Control, Farmers’ Intentions, and Farmers’ Behavior. The results of the ISM analysis indicated that the highest priority in supporting the sustainability of the Bali cattle purification program in South Sulawesi was support from social organizations. This was followed by government support, farmers’ attitudes, market support, behavior, and behavioral control. These variables shaped farmers’ subjective norms and intentions in supporting the sustainability of the Bali cattle purification program. Overall, this study suggested that strategies for sustaining the Bali cattle purification program in South Sulawesi should have begun with strengthening social institutions and government policies as the most effective leverage points, accompanied by the creation of clear market incentives. These measures gradually shaped farmers’ attitudes, behaviors, norms, and ultimately their sustainable intentions to maintain the purity of Bali cattle in South Sulawesi.