The Role of Government Policies in Sustainability/Unsustainability of Productive Agrarian Activities: A Case Study of Turkmen and Gomishan Counties of Iran, 1981-2011

Government policy is one of the factors affecting the agricultural activities. This study aimed at investigating these factors using a qualitative approach and Grounded theory in two counties of Turkmen and Gomishan in Golestan province of Iran during the period of 1981-2011. Field studies were carried out through the selection of 32 snowball participants. The results showed that the four policies of cultivating and developing strategic products, diversifying into economic activities by creating industrial settlements in rural areas, damming and modernization, leveling and drainage of land were the main policies affecting the agrarian production and productive agrarian activities in the studied area; in addition, there were positive consequences including an increase in rural employment and improved soil capacity as a result of two policies of diversification of economic activities and land leveling and drainage as well as the negative consequences of lowering economic benefits, changing crop patterns, reducing water supply, raising livestock costs and the reduction of livestock breeding resulted in the instability of agricultural activities and rural economy as well as the weakness of crop production activities.