خلیل کلانتری

The purpose of this article is to analyze the key drivers of sustainable agricultural development in the Zayandeh River watershed of Isfahan province with a future research approach. The current research was applied, descriptive-survey type. The statistical community were experts related to the development of agriculture in the province.

To collect data, library sources, questionnaires and interviews were used. Delphi method and interviews with elites and executives were used to identify the primary components and drivers effective on the sustainable development of agriculture in the Zayandeh River watershed of Isfahan province. And the snowball technique was used to select the experts. Finally, 40 key drivers were set with a matrix width of 40x40. Questionnaires were also distributed among 25 experts. By identifying the primary components through Micmac software, the matrix of cross-effects was formed using the opinion of the elites and by giving paired scores of the desired indicators according to their influence and effectiveness from 0 to 3.

 In this research, two key drivers were identified for the future of sustainable agricultural development, which included the development of agriculture in controlled environments such as greenhouses and the development of infrastructure to create agricultural transformation and supplementary industries.

Drought as a natural and inevitable phenomenon, frequently occurs in the different regions of Iran and It leads to economic, social, and environmental damages. One of the drought damages is the reduction of groundwater resources. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of drought on groundwater resources in Karkhe catchment in Kermanshah province. In this study, meteorological drought status of the region was studied using SPI index and its derived criteria such as number of years of exposure to drought, longest drought period and magnitude of drought period in 30 years’ period (1986-2016). Then Mann-Kendall tests and Sen's slop were used to investigate the trend of changes in the spi index and groundwater level. Finally, the effect of drought on groundwater drop was investigated using Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that the trend of drought is not significant, but the trend of groundwater depletion was significant and, it has become more intense over time. The results also showed that drought have no significant impact on groundwater depletion in the study area and it seems that the role of overexploitation of groundwater resources is more important than drought effects. Hence, development of low-water-use crops and development of watershed and aquifers feeding activities were proposed as practical policies.

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) can help improve the economic and social conditions of local communities, but there are various obstacles. This research aims to identify and analyze the obstacles to local community participation in the development of CBT in rural areas. This investigation has been conducted in nine villages in the Sarvabad and Marivan Counties of Kurdistan Province, Iran, which are recognized for their significant tourism potential. A total of 40 participants were selected using the theoretical saturation criterion, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather in-depth insights. Data coding ultimately segmented the identified barriers into nine categories, including: (1) the exogenous management of rural tourism projects coupled with limited villager involvement; (2) the absence of a monitoring system and the inadequate transmission of management information and supporting evidence to decision-makers; (3) perceived cultural disparities alongside associated negative impacts; and (4) fragile internal organizational structures within the villages. By identifying the aforementioned barriers, this research can help policymakers and researchers make better decisions for the development of CBT in rural areas.

Due to technological development, today the development of the agricultural sector is possible only through an innovative economy and the knowledge-based production. In this regard, in developed societies, agricultural colleges play an important role in terms of intellectual leadership for the development of agricultural knowledge base, but in Iran, despite the valuable role that agricultural colleges have played in providing agricultural expertise, the knowledge-based approach to the transformation of the agricultural sector is not yet seriously on the agenda of agricultural colleges and their fruits are not visible in the country. This article, which examines the issue with an analytical approach, has come to the conclusion that in order to play the technological role of agricultural colleges and benefit from the knowledge-based economy in Iran's agricultural development, on the one hand requires structural changes in the functions of agricultural colleges from mere training of agricultural specialists (first generation colleges) and conducting research with traditional approaches (second generation colleges) to training specialized and efficient entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector (third generation colleges) and the development of smart technologies and agricultural knowledge bases (fourth generation colleges). On the other hand, the mission-oriented nature of agricultural colleges to meet the current needs of the agricultural community is one of the requirements to play an effective role in the academic society of the country in the development of knowledge-based agricultural sector. Thus, national missions for top universities and regional and provincial missions for other universities should be on the agenda.

The present study aimed to assess the vulnerability of the water governance system to environmental hazards in the Karun Great Basin, Khuzestan Province, using an integrated DPSIR-PLS framework. Data were collected through expert interviews, coded and analyzed using MAXQDA software, and subsequently categorized within the DPSIR framework. Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) was applied for analysis. To ensure adequate sample size, G*Power software was employed, resulting in 90 valid questionnaires collected from experts. The results revealed that in the initial model, the structure of relationships followed a linear pattern from driving forces to responses. However, in the extended model, feedback loops and cyclical relationships emerged between the response component and other elements. The response component showed significant negative effects on driving forces (–0.610), pressures (–0.333), state (–0.266), and impacts (–0.373), indicating the weak performance of institutional responses in controlling the vulnerability cycle. In the initial model, the impact component played the main role with the highest path coefficient (0.828), but in the extended model, with the inclusion of responses, the driving force component became the main driver with a path coefficient of (0.872). This shift highlights that under weak institutional responses, human and climatic factors as driving forces become more prominent and decisive, leading to a more stable vulnerability cycle. The R² values of the components ranged from 0.372 to 0.704, indicating moderate to very high explanatory power of the model. Accordingly, it is recommended that responses be redesigned through institutional reforms, spatial planning, infrastructure modernization, and support for sustainable agriculture.

In various societies, including Iran, the increasing demand for food due to current population growth trends necessitates improvements in the food supply chain, starting at the farm level. Recent challenges, such as drought in food production systems linked to climate change, emphasize the need to enhance the resilience of farming units. This enhancement holds the promise of fortifying food security for farming households and brings advantages to other sectors within the society or contributes to national food security. Maintaining the hypothetical connection between the resilience of small farms and the food security of their households, this study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the food security of small-scale farming households in Hamedan province, placing a particular emphasis on the role of resilience. The research targeted active farmer households operating on small-scale farming units (below 10 hectares), with a sample size of 300 individuals determined using Cochran's formula. Cluster sampling was employed in two stages, and farmers were surveyed through researcher-designed questionnaires. The validity of the main research tool was confirmed by a panel of agricultural development experts and faculty members from Tehran University. Reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. Data analysis was conducted using SMART PLS3 and SPSSwin25 software, revealing that food security was most significantly impacted by social participation, use of new technologies, and resilience of farming units. Based on these findings, adopting agroecological methods such as mixed farming, mulching, and socio-economic empowerment of farming families are recommended to enhance resilience and fortify food security

Rural industrialization is a key aspect of economic diversification in rural areas, but stakeholders in rural development have diverse perspectives on this process. This study examines the different ideological frameworks of rural development actors and how they influence policy and practice. The lack of cohesive strategies for rural industrialization has led to socio-economic disparities and cultural erosion in rural communities.

This research used Q-methodology to analyze the subjective perspectives of 17 key stakeholders, including policymakers and local leaders. Participants ranked 40 statements on rural industrialization, leading to the identification of four distinct mentalities through factor analysis.

Four mentalities were identified: Cultural Preservationists, Industrial Integrationists, Anti-Industrial Advocates, and Structural Reformists. The study highlights the challenges in translating recognition of rural-urban differences into effective policies, with a focus on the need for context-driven approaches.

The study emphasizes the need for consensus-building mechanisms among stakeholders, localized models for rural development, and institutional reforms to address policy fragmentation. Future research should explore how global trends impact rural development mentalities and strategies.

Water policy statements and related legislations are key pillars of water governance showing an economy roadmap and perspective of water resources. Accordingly, the mentioned documents are key to develop action plans in all operational levels of natural resource management.This article aims to investigates status of water governance and related institutions at local level in Iran.

Using a qualitative research method and purposeful selection of water policy statements, it applies step-by-step procedure of content analysis consist of open coding, categorization and final theme.

The results revealed that performance and productivity has the highest rate considering frequency of topics. Trust and participation showed a minimum importance in analyzed documents. The results also showed low levels of participation, trust, transparency and accountability in governance framework.

In contrast to previous studies, the research investigates the institutional concepts at grassroots specifically water users and stakeholders through an innovative framework. It focused on soft and non-structural dimensions of water management at watershed level as an effective framework to governance.

Land suitability analysis is an important step in agricultural land-use planning and plays an important role in identifyng areas with the highest levels of suitability for crop cultivation, allocating them appropriately, and reduce adverse environmental impacts. Since more than 10% of the world’s dates are produced in Iran a crop with significant foreign exchange earnings the government has, in recent years, pursued plans to expand the cultivation area of date palms in regions suitable for its production. The Jiroft Plain holds a significant share of date production in the country; therefore, this study evaluated the land suitability of the Jiroft Plain for date cultivation using a combination of two multivariate decision-making methods and a geographic information system under current conditions and groundwater change scenarios projected for the year 2031 (1410 in the Iranian calendar), an aspect that has received little attentionin land suitability studies. The results showed that the Jiroft Plain has minimal climatic limitations for date production; however, there are constraints related to water and soil factors, which vary across different parts of the plain. the results of the pairwise comparison of the 13 factors considered for date cultivation indicated that parameters related to topography and water resources were more important than the other factors. Based on the findings, most areas of the Jiroft Plain classified as “moderately suitable” for date cultivation, and under pessimistic groundwater scenarios within the next decade, most lands are expected to decline to a “critically suitable” category. The study also revealed that to enhance productivity and improve land management, policymakers and farmers must give serious considerationto the limitations of water resources when selecting sites for the expansion of date palm orchards in the Jiroft Plain. The maps generated by this studyan provide a basis for planning and developingdate palm plantations in the study area.

In order to reduce Damask Roses wasting, increase employment and improve the economic status of a large group of villagers in East Azerbaijan province, fundamental need for a deep study with the aim of validating components of Damask Roses processing industries development, as challenges of its processing, structural equations modeling, and analyzing effects among them, is obvious in the province. For this purpose, the components in the form of a Likert spectrum in a researcher-made questionnaire were completed from all the producers of processed products of Damask Roses in the province then after entering the data into the SPSS software and transferring them to the SmartPls software were analyzed. Based on the assessment of fitting measurement and structural model, components had appropriate validity and reliability, as well as the structural model of the research had appropriate predictive power. The results showed that the paradox of some government policy-making, decision-making, and planning as threats of Damask Roses processing industries development and as the management weakness, by aggravating some internal problem of producers, as their weak points, as well as, neutralizing some provincial opportunities of industries development, leads to severe fluctuations in the economic growth of entire Damask Roses industry in the province has faced. The commitment of government before announcement of orders to carry out and fully using comprehensive studies and Land use planning in the province and surrendering trustee and the responsibility of processing industries development to "specialized and Independent of political currents working group in the province, consisting of representatives of industries owners, related organizations and economic beneficiaries", are among this research suggestions.

Continuity of activity and stabilization of water user associations depends on analyzing the challenges and providing suitable mechanisms to overcome them. the current research is an attempt to analyze the challenges facing water user associations in AleShtar county and provide mechanisms to overcome them, which can be an effective step towards improving the status of the water user associations in the study area.

The statistical population of this study is farmers active in water users' assocations in Aleshtar county, The size of the statistical population of this study was 380 people, 191 of whom were selected using a stratified sampling method using a proportional assignment method. In this study, exploratory factor analysis technique was used to analyze the data.

The results of the factor analysis classified the challenges faced by the water user associations in three social, economic and technical infrastructure factors. the results of the factor analysis of the mechanisms for overcoming challenges also showed that five factors including infrastructure and safety, local participation and self-help, technology, supervision and coordination, and economic and financial are considered as the most important operational mechanisms.

This issue has been addressed less in published research. while the present study, with a special focus on the challenges and solutions in water-user associations, has analyzed them and provided a useful framework for irrigation network management, the findings of this study will be of great help in improving the situation of water users' assocations in formulating policies and programs.

Due to a very little need of Damask Rose for water and  its large land adaptability as well as its high lands proportionality, and technical knowledge of farmers for its cultivation in East Azerbaijan province of Iran, a basic need for a deep study is necessary to increase employment and improve income of a large group of rural households with the aim of identifying, analyzing and prioritizing business strategies of developing Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in this province. Related research literature review showed that so far, a similar study with TOPSIS method has not analyzed business strategies in developing the Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in the East Azerbaijan province.

For this purpose, after integrating the criteria extracted through Delphi study as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of developing the Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in the East Azerbaijan province, in order to develop marketing strategies based on matrix of Ansoff after confirming its formal validity, by giving a score to compare each of the strategic options in the conditions of those criteria in the form of a Likert spectrum from 1 to 9 in the researcher-made questionnaire, the data were collected from all experts in 2023 and analyzed after confirming its reliability in an entropy method with the TOPSIS technique in Excel software.

The study results showed ambitious marketing and diversification strategies were respectively placed in the first and second ranks in development of business of Damask Rose cultivation; in addition, balanced and bold marketing strategies were respectively selected as the first and second ranks in development of its processing industries, indicating that there would be a conflict in the business development strategies of Damask Rose cultivation and its processing industries in the province. According to these results, it will not be possible to implement marketing strategies of Damask Rose cultivation development before improving the economic status of its processing industries in the province.

Therefore, the process of Damask Rose cultivation development in the East Azerbaijan province while solving economic problems and putting the first priority for its industries in the provincial financial supports of the government, including providing low-interest banking facilities, reducing income tax and allocating government foreign currency in the import of needed devices, and also in the transition phase from economic crisis of country, do producing new pleasant products in current markets by Damask Rose processing industries of the studied province at the same time. It is also recommended to resolve the concerned conflict in this industry through the assignment of Damask Rose processing industries development to a professional authority in Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad (MAJ) of Iran.

The agricultural sector in developing countries plays an important role in promoting national development and rational policy making and strategic planning to advance the sustainable development of this sector are of main concerns of the relevant institutional actors. In this regard, the current research was conducted with the aim of identifying scenarios of sustainable agricultural development in the catchment area of Zayandeh River in Isfahan province. The present research was applied, of descriptive-survey type. The statistical population was experts related to agricultural development in the province. To collect data, library sources, questionnaires and interviews were used. Delphi method and interviews with elites and executives were used to identify the primary components and drivers effective on the sustainable development of agriculture in the Zayandeh River watershed of Isfahan province. The snowball technique was used to select the experts. Finally, 8 key drivers were identified and separated in order to explain the research variables in a strategic format. Based on this, in the section related to the expression of research priorities in two direct and indirect modes, these 8 key factors have been repeated in different priorities. Questionnaires were distributed among 25 experts. In this study, five plausible scenarios were identified for forecasting the future of sustainable agricultural development by considering potential outcomes based on key factors and their similarities or differences across the categories of favorable, static, and critical scenarios. Based on their total scores, which range from 85 to 109, two scenarios were identified as the most likely: one favorable scenario and one critical scenario.

Nowadays, as an efficient approach, microfinance play a vital role in supporting small businesses and creating job opportunities. Therefore, microfinance pave the way for saving and development. Evidence indicates that microfinance funds face some challenges despite their achievements in credit services provided for strengthening the job status of rural residents. Therefore, the extant study was conducted to identify and analyze challenges related to rural microfinance funds in Ghalehganj County. The statistical population comprised 21.000 villagers who were members of the microfinance funds established in Ghalehganj County. The data were collected by questionnaires. Besides measures of central tendency and dispersion statistics, exploratory factor analysis were employed for data analysis. Findings introduced some challenges, including low perception towards job-creation capabilities and entrepreneurial talents, low financial power of households, undesired loan conditions, lack of skills and appropriate technology, lack of infrastructures, and production factors as the most substantial barriers to the effectiveness of associated microfinance funds in business development. The findings of this study can play an important role in giving the accurate insights to the practitioners of microfinance funds, particularly regarding to the lack of the sufficient and appropriate empirical literature in Iran.

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of commercialization of agricultural products the household farming system and the factors affecting it in Khalkhal county. This study was performed from the preliminary data collected using a questionnaire from a stratified random sample of 368 smallholder farmers. The Household Commercialization Index was used to assess the level of commercialization. A multiple regression model was used to estimate the factors associated with small-scale agricultural commercialization. The average household commercialization index is 39.94%. The results of multiple regression showed that the variables that significantly and positively affect commercialization are the number of available markets, membership in cooperatives, non-agricultural income, and amount of livestock production, crop production, and horticultural production. On the other hand, the variables that significantly and negatively affect commercialization are the age of the head of the household, production costs and distance from the market. This study showed that the farmers of this region are mostly subsistence. In order to increase the commercialization of smallholder farmers, special attention is recommended to educate farmers to look at agriculture as a business and equip farmers with marketing and negotiation skills.

The sudden decrease in water levels in Urmia Lake has elevated the environmental risk to both nearby and distant communities. For the people living in this region, particularly the villagers, the crisis has brought about a number of negative effects, including economic, social, environmental, and production-related. The current study was carried out with the purpose of evaluating the economic and productive effects of this problem from the viewpoint of the rural residents in the eastern part of the lake. The eastern of the lake's including 87,049 rural households that made up the statistical population of this study from which 230 households were chosen and analyzed using a stratified sampling method. The formula proposed by Cochran was used to determine the sample size. A questionnaire and face-to-face interviews were the data collection tool and method. By employing the opinions of experts and determining Cronbach's alpha coefficient the validity and reliability of the research instrument were assessed. The data analysis was done using SPSS statistical software. According to the findings, among the most significant effects that the villagers agreed upon were the decrease in the area used to cultivate agricultural products, the reduction of water resources and the rise in costs associated with the supply of agricultural water, and the decline in the quality of surface and ground water. According to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, the various economic-production effects of the water reduction of this lake can be summarized under four groups including "quantitative and qualitative reduction of agricultural production and income", "decrease in the quantity and quality of water resources", "increase in costs and threat to job security and income", and "reduction of non-agricultural activities". Around 69% of the variance in the results' overall variance was explained by these four variables. Among the recommendations made by this study to lessen the effects of water depletion in this lake are encouraging the production and introduction of agricultural and horticultural crops suitable for the eastern area of Urmia Lake, developing new irrigation systems, and altering the pattern of irrigated agricultural crops.

Food production in controlled cultivation areas plays a crucial role in increasing productivity and offsetting supply shortages. Product yields, water consumption, and energy use are the main parameters determining the performance of food production in a greenhouse. Smart technology is an effective solution to improve these parameters. This study aimed to identify the components, challenges, and requirements for the development of smart agriculture in greenhouses. Our case study focused on Tehran province, which encompasses a significant portion of the total greenhouses in Iran. The statistical population consisted of 20 subject-matter experts with research or executive experience in greenhouse automation, selected purposefully. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used in this study to collect data. First, we identified the variables affecting the development of smart agriculture in greenhouses by using a literature review and semi-structured interviews with experts, Then, the experts were asked to evaluate the cross-influence of the identified variables through pairwise comparison. Finally, data analysis was done using MICMAC software. The findings indicate that the identified requirements and challenges have had a significant influence on the lack of smart agriculture in greenhouses. Through network analysis of influence and dependence relationships, it was found that economic requirements and challenges, technical and infrastructural requirements and challenges, legal and regulatory requirements, and institutional requirements were the most influential variables in the development of smart agriculture in Tehran province.

In order to increase rural employment, a fundamental need for a deep study with the aim of identifying and analyzing components affecting challenges of Damask Roses cultivation development in East Azerbaijan province is obvious. Related literature review shows that no similar study has analyzed the challenges of Damask Roses cultivation development in the province with futures studies method. For this purpose, after validating the face validity of the research tool (a researcher-made questionnaire) using experts of the cultivation of roses in East Azerbaijan province, the components obtained from the Delphi study were completed and analyzed in the form of matrices and in the Micmac specialized software environment. The results showed effective components of Damask Roses cultivation development in the province included lack of financial capital, chemical contamination (contamination of Damask Roses in some areas with residuals of toxins and chemicals), non-participation of private sector, experts insufficient presence, and non-investment in agricultural infrastructure. Furthermore,  the analysis of the intensity of the relationship between the components showed that the challenges of developing Damask Roses cultivation in the province remain unsolved due to the lack of capital and the creation of a vicious circle.  Simultaneous investing in Damask Roses processing industries, extension of replacing  healthy methods in the management of Damask Roses pests and diseases, establishing laws based on authority delegation, sovereignty, and responsibility of target setting to the policies of cultivating Damask Roses, continuous evaluation, and accountability to the bodies independent from "informal groups with influential and powerful members " in the Ministry of Jihad and Agriculture are among the most important suggestions of present research.

Ecotourism aims to strengthen environmental impacts and improve local living conditions particularly in rural communities, however, proper management of the operations is necessary to preserve and maintain the biological richness of the region as well as the economic progress of local community. The new theoretical perspectives of development consider a very important role for non-governmental organizations in the realization of people-oriented development. Non-governmental organizations participate in the process of planning and developing ecotourism and aim to converge different views and interests. These organizations should have special functions such as travel planning, training of ecotourism tour guides and development of sustainability in the local community. Despite this, until now the factors affecting the success of these organizations in the planning and development of ecotourism in Iran have not been investigated.

Using grounded theory strategy, this study enumerated the characteristics of successful non-governmental organizations and finally developed the model that explains the success of these organizations. The statistical sample of this study included 37 ecotourism specialists, managers and experts of non-governmental organizations engaged in ecotourism, government officials, and residents of the local community, which were selected purposefully with snowball sampling method. The interview questions were prepared in a semi-structured framework, based on the research questions. To ensure the quality of the research, in addition to triangulation, the strategy of participant feedback was used. Data analysis and interpretation were done through coding in three stages of open, axial and selective coding.

From the analysis of interviews, 64 open codes were derived and from the combination of these codes, six axial codes were obtained. The axial codes included endogenous development, asset-based community development, and codes of conduct of non-governmental organizations, professional characteristics of successful non-governmental organizations, internal structural requirements and requirements of successful projects.Non-governmental organizations should pay attention to endogenous development that starts from the local community and is based mainly on the local knowledge, preferences, strategies, and context. Some of the open codes that construct the axialcode of “endogenous development” include improving the satisfaction of the local community, determining the goal by the local community, assigning control of the project to the local community and ensuring fair benefit-sharing, distributing benefits equitably among local community members, preventing local elite capture, and creating mutual trust in the local community. Also, putting together the nine open codes, such as paying attention to the potential abilities of the local community, rehabilitating the local community and revitalizing the attractions, objectifying the value of the local community's assets, raising sweat in the local community, and dealing with problems based on indigenous knowledge, construct the axial code of  “asset-based community development”.

According to the model of our study, non-governmental organizations can promote ecotourism and bring positive impacts in rural areas if they:1- Adopt endogenous and asset-based development approach as the dominant and governing paradigm of their programs and activities;2- Comply with codes of conduct and3- Have a good internal management and professional characteristics.Meanwhile, paying attention to the direct participation and benefit of the local community in planning and managing ecotourism projects and informing the local community about the revenue-generating potential of local assets and attractions is recommended for the success of non-governmental organizations.

Despite the importance of developing rural entrepreneurship, reports indicate insufficient development of rural entrepreneurship. Therefore, the present research has analyzes the effective mechanisms on the development of rural entrepreneurship in Zirkouh county. The study population included people who used employment loans (840 people). The sample size was determined using G*Power software (215 people). was used to select the samples. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha and content validity analysis based on the opinion of the professors of the Department of Agricultural Management and Development of Tehran University and the experts of the Agricultural Jihad of Zirkoh county. Descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis were used for data analysis (using Smart PLS software V.3). The results showed that among the various components that indicate the development of entrepreneurship, the sub-components of the educational system with the path coefficient (0.921), market (0.809), infrastructures (0.753), and cultural factors (0.691); and finally, laws and policies (0.678) are respectively the most important. The findings also showed that among the various mechanisms for the development of rural entrepreneurship, legal and political mechanisms with a path coefficient (0.304) have the greatest effect on the development of entrepreneurship. After these mechanisms there are social (0.226), infrastructure (0.209), economic (0.207) and management (0.171) mechanisms. To develop rural entrepreneurship, it is suggested to use educational methods as well as develop appropriate legal and policy mechanisms to support rural entrepreneurs.

Access to food is the concept of sustainable physical and economic access to resources to provide food items needed by society. Although in line with population growth the production of agricultural products has increased, the access of the people to the food has decreased and it has caused hidden hunger and food insecurity on a large scale. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 60% of child deaths in developing countries are the result of chronic hunger and malnutrition. In Iran, the level of food insecurity is reported about 23%, and the situation of access to food in both physical and economic dimensions is far worse in rural than urban areas. For example, the level of food insecurity in the rural areas of Qarasu in West Azerbaijan is reported 59.4%. Lack of access to sufficient food and the occurrence of food insecurity are affected by various factors, including economic, social, cultural, political and environmental. As a result, due to the importance of access to food, this study tried to investigate the factors affecting the access of rural households to food in Shavoor district.

Current research is a non-experimental survey research with a quantitative approach. The statistical population was all the rural households of Shavoor district (N= 2624), of which 300 households (n= 300) were selected as a sample using the stratified sampling method with proportional assignment. The data used in this research was primary data that was collected by a questionnaire. The validity of the data collection tool was done based on the point of view of specialists, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine its reliability. The value of this coefficient for different parts of the questionnaire was between 0.765 and 0.873, which indicates the appropriate reliability of the research tool. This study used SPSS, Excel, and SmartPLS for data analysis. In order to inferentially analyze the data, confirmatory factor analysis based on partial least square (PLS) method was used.

The findings showed that the average age of the respondents was over 47 years old, 85.7% were married, 28.7% were also illiterate. The average number of people per household in this study was 5.86 people. The average number of active people among the studied households was about two. Most households (41.3%) had an income of less than two million tomans per month and 58.3% of the households could not save any money. Although the main occupation of most (31%) heads of the studied households was agriculture, most of the households did not possess agricultural land. Also, the average area of irrigated and orchard lands and the number of light and heavy livestock of each studied household were 2.70 hectares, 0.37 hectares, 2.80 heads and 1.80 heads, respectively. According to the results of the confirmatory factor analysis based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) method, among the three main dimensions (physical, economic and continuity of access), the physical access to food is more unfavorable (0.458) than the economic access (0.900) and continuity of access (0.909). Based on the research findings, economic (0.528), social (0.362), and individual and family (0.340) factors are the most important factors affecting rural households' access to food respectively. Among the economic factors, the income variable has a greater impact on food access. Food consumption pattern and the education level of the head of the household, respectively among the social and the individual-family factors are very important and have a significant effect on improving the access of households to food. Various studies have emphasized the effect of the low level of education of heads of households in a society on poverty and food insecurity. Also, physical factors play a decisive role in households' access to food, and these factors indirectly affect the level of rural households' access to food.

In this research, an attempt was made to analyze the factors affecting the improvement of access to food for rural households in Shavor village located in Susa county. The findings of this research showed that despite the fact that the main source of income for most of the rural households in this village is from the agricultural sector, the situation of rural households' access to food is not favorable, especially in terms of physical access. And various factors, including economic, individual-family factors, social and physical, have directly and indirectly affected this access. In order to improve the access level of rural households to food, it is suggested to provide the necessary background and platform for diversifying rural jobs and improving their income sources. Creation and support of various organizations (such as consumer cooperatives) with the aim of providing facilities and supply of food items at a better price and with more variety to the villagers, targeting the granting of subsidies to agricultural inputs, adopting appropriate support policies for the price of agricultural products, strengthening the market and the transportation network for agricultural products are among the best solutions to improve the level of access of villagers to food.

Natural hazards are almost typically accompanied by significant losses in agriculture. Resilience is one strategy for dealing with these damages. Because of this, the overall goal of this research was to examine farmers' appropriate actions to strengthen the resilience of small-scale farming units to cope with climate change impacts in the province of Hamadan. Farmers engaged in small-scale farming operations (less than 10 hectares) made up the statistical population of the study. The 300-person sample size was determined using Cochran's methodology. They were sampled using the cluster technique over some stages, and distinct questionnaires were used for the interviews. The primary research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, whose reliability and validity were established by Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability as well as a group of sustainability specialists and academics from the Department of Agricultural Development and Management in the University of Tehran. Software such as SMART PLS 3 and SPSSwin25 were used for data analysis. The use of new technologies, the development of infrastructure services, the development of mechanization and modernization, the strengthening of development infrastructure, the regulation of the market for agricultural products, the resolution of political crises, and a reduction in the unilateral presence of large-scale farmers in the management of agricultural organizations are some suggestions for improving the management resilience of the studied units. These actions will reduce the vulnerability of small farmers to climate change.

So far, studies have paid less attention to the farmer’s intention in developing a water-based crop pattern, so this article examines the relationship between the characteristics of 393 active farmers in the Jiroft plain and their willingness to accept a water-based crop pattern. Farmers were surveyed about the level of willingness to accept the proposed cropping pattern, demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors and institutional characteristics using a questionnaire with open and closed questions in the 2020 crop year. In order to achieve the research objectives, a stratified logit model was used in which the dependent variable of the research (willingness to accept the crop pattern appropriate to water resources) was ranked in five categories including 0: unwillingness to accept; 1: low acceptance; 2: willingness to moderate acceptance; 3: willingness to accept too much and 4: willingness to accept too much. The results showed that 62% of respondents tended to accept below average and only 7.9% of farmers tended to accept too much. The results showed that the variables of age, literacy level, average monthly income, personal ownership of land, access to credit and membership in farmers 'social institutions had a positive and significant effect on farmers' willingness to accept and non-payment of water input by farmers had the opposite effect. Findings showed that a variety of variables may explain the willingness of farmers to develop protective behaviors for water resources that should be considered.

The occurrence of natural hazards is always associated with severe damage in the agricultural sector, especially in small-scale farming exploitation units. One of the approaches to deal with these damages is to use the approach of water-energy-food (WEF) nexus in the management decisions of these units. Therefore, the present research was carried out with the aim of analyzing the mechanisms of linking water, energy and food in small-scale farming exploitation units in Hamadan province. The statistical sample of the research was 300 active farmers in small-scale farming exploitation units (below 10 hectares) which were determined by the rule of Cochran formula and sampling was done by cluster method. The main research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, the content validity of which was confirmed by a panel of agricultural experts and faculty members of the Department of Agricultural Development and Management at the University of Tehran. In addition, the reliability of research’s tool was confirmed through internal consistency procedure calculating Cronbach's alpha and CR (Cumulative Reliability) coefficients (Both above 0.7). Data analysis was carried out using SPSSwin25 and SMART PLS 3 software. The results showed that the overall nexus of water-energy and food from the six dual mechanisms of WEF the Energy or Food has received a more significant effect. According to the findings of the research, in order to strengthen the nexus approach of these vital resources, measures such as providing and introducing coherent and multilateral investment packages; providing training to farmers regarding synergy and unbreakable link of three sources in farm management and paying attention to this approach at different levels of the management system, from policy making and planning are suggested for field-level farm management decisions..

Access to food is one of the most important components of food security, which plays an important role in food security. Access to food has three main components including physical, economics and stability. The present study investigated the access of rural households to food in Shavoor village. The statistical population of the study consisted of all rural households in this district (N = 2624). The sample size of 300 households was determined based on stratified sampling method with proportional assignment. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. To measure access to food, based on the UN MPI, a standard index was developed whose value was between zero and one. This method was a methodological innovation of the study. Findings showed that about 23% of rural households have a good access to food. Among three main components, economic ans stability access have had the more contribution in access to food index. Disability to food supply resources and centers, lack of self-production and severe fluctuations in food prices are the most important causes for reducing the rural households access to food. Accordingly, it was suggested that improvement of ICT infrastructures will provide better condition to access of rural community to food. Promoting a culture of self-production and saving is another suggestion to improve the resilience of rural households to food price fluctuations.