South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

Village food security is essential for inclusive rural development, yet it is often constrained by infrastructure gaps and weak farmer institutions. This study evaluates food-security strategy in Batumbulan Baru Village (Southeast Aceh, Indonesia) by integrating PLS-SEM and AHP. Using a household survey (n = 60), PLS-SEM tests the effects of agricultural infrastructure and farmer institutional capacity (X1), Village Fund utilisation (X2), and the food-system process (production–distribution–consumption; M) on food security (Y). Results show that Village Fund utilisation strongly strengthens the food-system process (X2→M: β = 0.768; p < 0.001), while the process has a positive but marginal association with food security (M→Y: β = 0.345; p = 0.080). The indirect effect of Village Funds on food security through the process is also marginally supported (X2→M→Y: β = 0.265; p = 0.092), whereas X1 has no significant direct effect on Y (β = −0.736; p = 0.144), indicating an implementation gap. AHP prioritises irrigation (0.31), farmer training (0.23), post-harvest facilities (0.19), cooperative revitalisation (0.15), and village market development (0.12). This integrated framework helps align Village Fund planning with evidence-based priorities for rural food security.