Assessing the Role of Social Capital in Agricultural Land Consolidation Case study: Hesar e Valiasr County, Avaj Township

Fragmentation and distribution of agricultural lands is one of most important structural problems of the rural development process especially agricultural development in the Iran. Consequently، the problem has lead to numerous other serious problems such as inefficient use of modern technologies and new production methods، decrease in productivity، waste of soil and water resources، reduction of income level، insufficient of job opportunity and entrepreneurship activities and etc. which have been result in slowing the rate of rural development process. Meanwhile، land consolidation as a factor for successful development of agriculture has draws attention of planners and policymakers in the both developed and developing countries in the recent years. When applied as an instrument of rural development، land consolidation can improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of public and private investments in transportation and communication networks، utilities and irrigation systems. By facilitating renewal of communities، land consolidation can promote social stability. Based on sustainable development approach، community assets to improve the livelihood of the local community includes a broad range of capitals forms such as natural، physical، human، financial and social capitals. The research method of the current study in terms of the nature، rate and degree of control and method of data collection was quantitative، non-experimental and field research، respectively. The statistical population of the study consisted of 280 farmers of the villages of Ardelan، Dashtak and Azanbar located in Hesar e Valiasr County (Avaj township- Qazvin province). To determine the sample size، based on the Cochran formula، the 150 beneficiary was selected as a samples and questionnaires were distributed randomly. To assess the role of social capital indicators (cooperation and participation، social trust، local networks and group cohesion) in land consolidation questionnaire was used. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the variables، using the preliminary questionnaire was calculated by the use of Cronbach''s alpha coefficient of 0. 937. For quantitative analysis of collected data statistical tests such as one sample T test، Kruskal Wallis and Factor analysis were used. To assess the role of social capital in the farmers tendencies to make decisions related to scattered land plot consolidation in the study area، one sample t test has been used. The analysis show that، with the assumed test value of 3 (as a liker spectrum mean) there are significant differences between numerical means of social capital components in land consolidation from the beneficiaries'' viewpoints. On the other hand، to assess the difference between the means of ranks of social capital components in sample villages، nonparametric Kruskal Wallis test was used; and this showed that differences at the level of 95% are not significant. To assess the importance of social capital variables in Land Consolidation from respondents'' viewpoints in projects implemented in the study area، factor analysis was used. The result of reduction of 32 variables extracted from the questionnaire represents 6 major factors that explain more than 70% of the total variance. The results shows that social capital has had a positive effect on the success of farmers'' fragmented lands consolidation projects in the study area trough the formation of local group. So that among social capital components such as trust، cooperation، social cohesion and local networks، the indicators of mutual trust between group members and participation and cooperation among within the group as facilitating factors، have had the most effect on group formation and decision making about land consolidation، from the viewpoints of respondents in the study area. The results of reduction are organized in six main factors that explain totally 70. 1% of the variance. Thus، among extracted factors of mutual trust between farmers (with 19. 39 percent)، and collaboration and cooperation of group members (by 17. 2 percent)، and social cohesion and participatory management (with 11. 56 percent)، which are closely related to social structure of rural regions، include approximately 50 percent of the total variance from perspective of beneficiaries eligible to implemented Land Consolidation projects and this indicates the effect of social capital on farmers'' fragmented and distributed land consolidation.