The role of medicinal plants in the development of rural settlements with emphasis on job creation (Case study: villages of Kalat city)

Diversifying the economy of rural settlements in developing countries has improved non-agricultural job opportunities in rural areas and also has a significant impact on the well-being of rural households. Studies show that the diversity of economic activities has an effect on the economic sustainability of rural settlements, which means that the greater the diversity of economic activities, the higher the economic sustainability. Today, medicinal plants play a vital role in advancing national, regional and global goals to achieve health, environmental protection, selfsufficiency, job creation, entrepreneurship and economic development. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of cultivation of medicinal plants on job creation in rural areas (case study of villages in Kalat city). The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. The sample population includes 7 villages of Kalat city in which medicinal plants are produced. According to the research results, planting each hectare of medicinal plants creates an average of 1.301 percent more jobs compared to other crops.