Developing a Model on International Marketing Ecosystem for Production and Processing of Pistachios in Iran

 Due to its foreign exchange earnings, creating added values, and other economic aspects, pistachios is one of the most important non-oil product exports of Iran. Traditionally, Iran had had a big share of the global market, yet because of several factors, Iran’s export power has been declined in the last two decades. In the meantime, pistachios have a critical position in Iran’s agricultural economics, hence identification of the factors affecting its export to the global market in the current situation and sustaining global market position as well as studying it as a unique ecosystem and hence presenting a model for such ecosystem becomes momentum. Since the production and processing of pistachios industry in Iran enjoys a huge potential, close attention to it and trying to enter into the global market – bearing in mind that it is a non-oil product-has been the focus of several scholars.

The present study aims to design and develop an international marketing ecosystem for the production and processing of Iran pistachios industry using a qualitative research approach with exploratory nature. The statistical population of this research was three types: (1) competent specialists (experts), (2) farmers and senior as well as middle managers of production and processing of pistachios having some international marketing experience, and (3) university faculties informed in this area of research, having been selected via judgmental - purposeful sampling. The statistical sample of this study includes 7 experts and gardeners producing pistachios, merchants and exporters, and senior managers of pistachios processing and packaging factories, all having some international experience. To recognize the international marketing ecosystem among gardeners, and senior managers of pistachios processing and packaging factories in Iran, systematic grounded theory of Straus and Corbin (including three types of open, axial, and selective coding), with the use of theoretical sampling, several aspects of this ecosystem have been identified. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted in person normally in their workplace, and online as well as via telephone, and the data collected has been analyzed using MAXQDA software.

 In this research, five factors have been identified as international marketing ecosystem players in the production and process of the pistachios, including agriculture, processing, export, product quality, government, and sanctions.

A system's performance depends on its components, yet an important aspect is an interaction among its components. Hence, five factors identified in this research have collective impacts, all together on the successful performance in entering into international markets.