مجله اقتصاد و توسعه کشاورزی
سال سی و چهارم شماره 4 (پیاپی 49، زمستان 1399)

The move towards industrialization of cities, population growth, deforestation and in general non-optimal and incorrect use of natural resources, etc. has caused the environment to face a serious crisis. Environmental destruction will have adverse consequences both in the short and long term. Air pollution, extinction of animal species, are among these consequences. Therefore nowadays, environmental protection issue is considered to be so important that has caused fundamental changes in behavior, interest, and preferences of the human societies. So all over the world, many people are interested in having green behavior, both in their personal and work life and in their relationships with others. In this regard, consumers and customers of products and services have obliged organizations to shift their approach to a sustainable one. Accordingly, having a green brand and increasing the value of green brand in today's world is a competitive advantage. The current research thus aimed at investigating the behavioral factors (green brand image, green trust, green satisfaction, green loyalty, green affect) influencing the green brand equity in the food industry.  

In this study, the researcher attempts to identify the effect of behavioral factors on green brand equity in the food industry. Accordingly, the research method in this study is descriptive-survey. In addition, necessary information from library and field studies was collected. The subjects of this study were people living in Tehran, so 480 cases were selected through cluster random sampling. In fact, in this study, the second, fifth, thirteenth and twenty-second districts of Tehran were selected and 4 neighborhoods were chosen from each district and a research questionnaire was distributed in those neighborhoods. In this study, a standard questionnaire was used to measure variables. The validity and reliability of the research instrument were also assessed through construct validity and Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. The results showed that the validity and reliability of the research tool were desirable. Also, the required data from the statistical population were collected from July 2018 to January 2019. The data was analyzed by SPSS and PLS software.

The results of descriptive data analysis showed that the highest frequency in terms of gender is related to women, the highest frequency in terms of age is related to between 25-31, the highest frequency in terms of education is related to master, the highest frequency in terms of income is related to 2 million, the highest frequency in terms of knowledge of green brand is related to average, the highest frequency in terms of the use of green brand is related to average and finally the highest frequency in terms of choosing the preferred eco-friendly brand from the respondents is related to MC. In order to test the hypotheses, first the normality of data distribution was measured that for this purpose, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. Since the calculated values for each of the variables were less than 0.05, it can be said that the distribution of research data was not normal. To evaluate the research model, the goodness of fit index was used and the calculations showed that the model fit is strong. Finally hypothesis test results showed that green brand image (0.399), green trust (0.199), green satisfaction (-0.157), and green loyalty (0.166) had impact on green brand equity, and the impact of green effect on green brand equity from the viewpoint of the research population was not confirmed. Additionally, it was concluded that behavioral factors (0.578) have effect on green brand equity in this research.

In general, it can be said that, green issues of individuals and organizations around the world has become inevitable due to the current environmental conditions, so ignoring it will have negative consequences such as air pollution, decreased soil quality, reduced revenue, reduced customers, reduced brand equity, isolation and finally the bankruptcy of the organization and failure to achieve sustainable development. But this while supporting the principles of the environmental subjects and its promotion in the organization and all its products and services make the stakeholders of organization aware of the goodwill of the organization about carrying out his social responsibility subjects. So by promoting it, loyalty and commitment of the stakeholders will increase and at last the green brand equity of the organization will improve. In this regard, it is recommended for organizations in the food industry to implement environmental performance policies in their field to gain a competitive advantage in the market and use the results of related research to implement them.

Mushrooms have valuable nutrients and physiological traits which has made it a suitable food for households. Among the various mushrooms, the King Oyster (Pleurotus eryngii) is considered as the best species among Oyster mushrooms, due to its superiority in stem and cap strength, thickness and fleshiness of its white stem, long shelf life, good taste and aroma, and numerous nutritional and medicinal properties. In addition, the edible-medicinal mushroom of the King Oyster, due to its very low moisture content and high strength between the stem and the cap, has a very long shelf life compared to other mushrooms and is therefore introduced as a high durability product. The King Oyster can remain fresh for 15 to 18 days after harvesting in suitable storage conditions. Also, this mushroom which is produced without application of any fertilizer or toxins is widely used as a healthy food, and in many countries, including Korea, China and Japan, it is facing widespread consumer demand. Therefore, considering the numerous characteristics of King Oyster and its substitution with Button mushroom, the aim of this study is to investigate the factors affecting household preferences for its replacement with Button mushroom. The study population of this research includes households living in Mashhad. As the edible-medicinal King Oyster mushroom is a special mushroom, this product is distributed only in some specific areas due to its unique features. Therefore, the Convenience sampling method was used. Sample size was determined based on the Morgan Table, and the highest volume, 400 samples, was selected to accurately assess consumer behavior. Also, the questionnaire was completed in 2019. Due to the sequential nature of household consumption preferences, the ordered logit model has been carried out to achieve the research objectives. The ordered logit model is a useful tool when the researcher seeks to analyze the behavior of consumers (households) in different groups. In the present study, after creating a consumption experience for households that had not previously consumed the King Oyster, empirical findings showed that a significant percentage of households (47.5%) preferred to substitute the King Oyster for Button mushroom, and only 12.5% ​​of households had low tendency to do that. The Brant test results showed that the values ​​of the status parameters for all the dependent variables were constant and uniform, and in this respect, it is permissible to apply the Ordered Logit model. Our results indicated that variables such as household income, importance index of pre- and post-cooking appearance characteristics, food and medicine awareness index, sales promotion index, product accessibility index, and familiarity with the King Oyster had a positive and statistically significant effect on the probability of consumption. On the contrary, variables such as age of the head of household and price index of the King Oyster had negative and significant effect on the probability of being in groups with higher levels of consumption preferences.  Conclusion and Suggestions: This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting household preferences for its replacement with Button mushroom. For this purpose, ordered logit model was applied in the households’ consumption in Mashhad city. Based on the results, the familiarity with the King Oyster mushroom had positive and significant effect on household consumption preferences, indicating that cognition and awareness of this product will increase household preference for substituting this mushroom for button mushroom. Thus, it is suggested that marketing policies and programs focus on introducing this product. In addition, creating a consumer experience for households initially led to familiarity and ultimately to the preference of the King Oyster rather than the button mushroom. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to create a consumer experience for households that have not yet consumed this product before. This can be done through King Oyster distribution stands as a useful tool in a well-designed program.

During the last decades, climate change has been highly disjointed. Recent studies on climate change has approached the assessment of impacts of this phenomenon and adaptation strategies under biophysical or social perspectives. In the field of agriculture and water resources, most assessments have been based on biophysical modelling focusing on the agronomic dimension or the hydrological dimension. Therefore, integrate biophysical and social aspects looking at environmental and human contexts are vital for investigation of climate change and adaptation strategies effects. In line with this, varied types of integrated modelling frameworks have been developed to address the different scales (from the crop to the river basin) and the different dimensions of climate change, water and agriculture (hydrological, agronomic, socio economic). Water resources in the Halil-Rud river basin are likely to be seriously affected by climate change in the form of increased water scarcity and more frequent droughts which leads to conflicts among different water users and uses, especially between agricultural sector and Jazmourian wetland services. However, because of the multidimensional and multi-scalar nature of water management and climate change, it is needed to integrate tools for the analysis of impacts and adaptation. In line with this, current study presents an economic – hydrological model to evaluate potential effects of climate change and adaptation strategies on irrigated agriculture and to solve or mitigate water resources conflicts among different water users and uses in studied basin. This study, combines a farm-based economic multi-objectives optimization model with the hydrologic model water evaluation and planning (WEAP) which can represent the socio-economic, agronomic and hydrologic systems in a spatially-explicit manner covering all dimensions and scales relevant to climate change. To this end, current study was organized in two sections. In the first section, the effects of a climate change under A2 scenario and balanced groundwater withdrawal (sustainable groundwater use) on hydrological and economic performance of basin level were investigated using an economic, agronomic and hydrologic model. Finally, adopting suitable adaptive strategies on hydrological and economic conditions were evaluated using that model. A2 scenario is primarily simulated through the hydrologic model, as it represents physical characteristics of the crop and water systems, through changes in climate variables. On the other hand, adaptation strategies that affect human behavior are firstly simulated by the economic multi-objectives model. The hydro-economic simulation model is started with the multi-objectives model run which include economic and hydrological objectives. Then, Using the MABIA method and WEAP irrigation water requirements would be calculated, allocating water to crops depending on water availability and established priorities, and estimating crop yields would be done. After the first economic-hydrologic model simulation, there is a second economic-hydrologic iteration. The economic model uses WEAP results on water delivered to irrigation communities (water availability constraints at farm level), crop yields (used to calculate the gross margin per crop) and irrigation water requirements under the simulated climate scenario and adaptation strategies to simulate farmers' adjustment of cropping patterns to a new optimal land allocation. results indicates the multi-dimensional effects of climate change and adaptation strategies and show the large potential of integrated hydro-economic models for representing the multi-scale processes related to climate change and water management. The analysis of decisions taken at farm level has been proven to be necessary, as crop model results capture the potential of farm level adaptation to mitigate the damaging effects of climate change and these are relevant to climate change adaptation as highlighted by Reidsma et al. (2010). Results for the climate change under A2 scenario and balanced groundwater withdrawal scenario (combined scenario) on status of hydrological and economic in the level basin showed that crops yield, areas with available water and water demand reliability would decrease, while crops net water demand and areas water unmet demand would increase and farmers’ income would decrease between 10 to 37 percent for upstream, between 24 to 47 percent for middle and between 30 to 50 percent for downstream units in long –term horizon in comparison to base scenario. But, adopting suitable adaptive strategies and measures could mitigate the effects of climate change on hydrological conditions specially for downstream areas and economic conditions including upstream areas. Finally, combined suitable water transmission system, modern irrigation technologies, saffron crop cultivation and deficit irrigation of some crops adaptive strategies simultaneously indicated that unmet water demand significantly decreases and the total gross margin of agricultural sector increases by 68% in comparison to base scenario under climate change.

The resistive economy, in the sense of managing the current situation in the country, minimizes the risks. In other words, establishment of the necessary institution in Iranian economy by using a set of policies, laws, and executive measures in such a way to minimize its risk against harmful shocks and disturbances, especially foreign and international ones, would provide the ground for the country to achieve sustainable economic progress. One of the most important methods in this regard, in creating the infrastructure of a resistive economy, is development of the agricultural sector. In fact, due to the distinctive features of the agricultural sector, this sector can be considered as the driving force of the economy within the framework of the resistive economy. To achieve such an economy, the challenges and potentials facing this sector must be identified while determining optimal investment for the basic sectors. Due to the capabilities of agricultural production in Mazandaran province, in this study, for identifying the problems and opportunities in the subsectors of agriculture and horticulture, a type of SWOT analysis was used in which relative weights are calculated through a linear mathematical programming model. Finally, by using the QSPM approach, prioritization strategies were developed for each subsector.

In the SWOT analysis, the AHP approach was used to extract the pairwise comparisons of internal and external factors from the opinions of the interviewed experts in the subsectors of agriculture and horticulture. SWOT analysis has been used to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and the combination of linear programming. Therefore, AHP approach is used to calculate the weight for criteria and alternatives at each level. In this research, a two-step linear programming method has been used to calculate the priority vector. In the first step, according to the pairwise comparison matrix, a formulation that provides a consistency limit is used. In the second step, according to the compatibility limits obtained in the previous step, for calculating marginal weights of the criteria, another linear programming model is used. After calculating the relative weights of each of the components of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as well as determining some strategies, using expert opinions, the QSPM approach has been used to prioritize strategies. For this purpose, the attractiveness coefficients of each strategy were extracted according to the Swot components and by multiplying the attractiveness coefficients by the relative weights, the total score for each Swot component was calculated for each strategy and finally with the total score of the Swot components, a total score for each strategy was calculated. Finally, Excel and GAMS software were used to estimate the results.

According to the results of SWOT analysis in the agriculture and horticulture sector, among the important strengths in Mazandaran province, this subsector can be ranked first in the production of various products, variety of climatic conditions and suitable water resources, the existence of fertile and suitable lands and variety of products. In contrast to the above strengths, weaknesses such as traditional and small units of exploitation, lack of guaranteed purchase and non-payment of debts on time by the government and cooperatives, low irrigation efficiency and low productivity of inputs (land, labor, etc.), lack of proper marketing system and the weak role of the government are some of important challenges in the subsectors of agriculture and horticulture in Mazandaran province. The opportunities facing the subsectors of agriculture and horticulture include the existence of ports and export terminals, existence of suitable fields for the construction of processing industries, improvement and establishment of fruit and vegetable terminals, and the existence of agricultural sub-graduates. The most important factors that threaten the activity of subsectors of agriculture and horticulture are related to the problems of financing and bank interest rates, land-use change and land trade, excessive import of agricultural and horticultural products, and small number of related processing industries. The results of prioritizing strategies through the QSPM approach also showed that according to aggressive strategies, in the subsectors of agriculture and horticulture, strategies like "Increased aggressive racial reform research ", "Establishment of fruit and vegetable export terminals" and "Development of processing industries", in the subsector of livestock  strategies like "Export development and entry into global markets", "Product and market development", "Establishment of facilities for export to the Caspian littoral states" and "Improvement of livestock breeds to increase production" , and in the subsector of fisheries "Aquaculture Development", "Development of Fisheries Industry", "Private and public sector support and investment" and "Establishment of facilities for export to international markets" are among strategies for strengthening the economy of the province and the country that can be considered.

According to the results of this study, it is suggested that more attention in terms of capital support, and regional policies should be given to the subsectors of agriculture and horticulture in this situation. Also, appropriate measures should be taken to increase the productivity of the agricultural sector in line with the resistance economy. It is also suggested that solutions such as guaranteed purchase, providing facilities for small and job-creating projects, use of agricultural researchers and graduates for improving and implementing of racial reform research, support and development of processing industry of agricultural products, market development and increasing exports of agricultural products, should be used.

In the current dynamic export market environment, understanding the market and its developments and trying to meet customer needs in the face of changing it, is another key factor in strengthening the performance of export firms. Therefore, the proper use of dynamic export capabilities is one of the most widely used strategies for the internationalization of companies. Saffron is one of the strategic products and the most important agricultural product in Iran, which has a special importance in terms of non-oil exports. Iran has the highest potential for saffron exports in the world, but statistics show that the export of Iranian saffron in bulk and lack of saffron processing in the country has caused the low added value of this product. Therefore in spite of having a comparative advantage and even in some cases an absolute advantage for saffron production, because of not paying attention to export capabilities and using its advantages as a competitive advantage in exports, the share of exporters has reduced. Moreover, in this article, we have tried to investigate the effect of dynamic export capabilities of companies active in the field of saffron exports on creating a competitive advantage and improving performance. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature. In terms of time horizon, it is cross-sectional and in year 2019. The statistical population is the commercial units active in the field of saffron export in Khorasan province. Morgan table has been used to determine the sample size, which according to Morgan table and the number of statistical population, the minimum sample size is equal to 120 managers of business units. The questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. In this study, the conceptual model was tested using the partial least squares method and SPSS and PLS software were used to analyze the data. The findings indicate a significant positive effect of export potential capabilities on competitive advantage directly and indirectly through export knowledge. Competitive advantage also has a significant effect on performance. The findings of this study show managers what components of dynamic export capabilities, export knowledge, competitive advantage and performance should be considered to improve their performance. This study explains to managers the fact that by investing in export dynamic capabilities, not only they do not lose, but they also gain a competitive advantage through improved performance. Given that the ultimate goal of most organizations is to improve the performance and satisfaction of their customers, and dynamic export capabilities, export knowledge, competitive advantage and performance lead to achieving these goals. The results of this research to the company's managers Export saffron exporters in particular and other managers in the country in general will help to take a step towards improving the dynamic export capabilities, and thus increase the competitive advantage of their organization and thus improve the performance of the organization. The findings of this study show managers what components of dynamic export capabilities, export knowledge, competitive advantage and performance should be considered to improve their performance. Today, growth of export is key for governments to recreate the economy. In almost all developing countries, the issue of export development is at the forefront of government priorities and policies. Saffron is one of the most strategic and important agricultural products in Iran, which is of special importance in terms of non-oil exports. Exports are the most important indicator in the global development of companies, as well as countries. Therefore, export market orientation and competitive advantage are important to increase export performance. So, managers and organizational officials with an emphasis on the relationship between dynamic export capabilities, export knowledge, competitive advantage and performance in export companies active in the field of saffron should be identified by recognizing customer needs to improve dynamic export capabilities. Managers must take steps to improve dynamic export capabilities and create a competitive advantage by identifying customer needs and requirements. In this regard, it is recommended to the active managers of export companies in the field of saffron, along with conducting research and identifying dynamic export capabilities, to strengthen them.

A common definition of agro-processing industry refers to the subset of manufacturing that processes raw materials and intermediate products derived from agricultural sector. Thus, agro-processing industry means transforming products originating from agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Indeed, it includes a very large part of agricultural production undergone some degree of transformation between harvesting and final use. The industries that use agricultural, fishery and forest products as raw materials comprise a very varied group. They range from simple preservation (such as sun drying) and operations closely related to harvesting the production, by modern, capital-intensive methods, of such articles as textiles, pulp and paper agriculture and industry have traditionally been viewed as two separate sectors both in terms of their characteristics and their role in economic growth. Agriculture has been considered the hallmark of the first stage of development, while the degree of industrialization has been considered to be the most relevant indicator of a country’s progress along the development path. Moreover, the proper strategy for growth has often been conceived as one of a more or less gradual shift from agriculture to industry, with the onus on agriculture to finance the shift in the first stage. Development of complementary industries and agriculture can be a good way to prevent injuries and to increase the value-added agricultural products. Given that in developing countries, especially in Iran, almost one-fourth of agricultural products are wasted only due to lack of storage facilities and conserving industries. Agro-processing industries, as a part of rural development process, can play a great role in preventing the waste of agricultural products, producing added value products, increasing rural families’ income, improving productivity, and increasing the share of industrial employment in rural areas. Many of the industries using agricultural raw materials have in fact those characteristics that make them particularly suitable for the circumstances of many developing countries. Where the raw material represents a large proportion of total costs, its availability at a reasonable cost can often offset such disadvantages such as lack of infrastructure or skilled labor. Furthermore, for many agro industries, a small plant may be economically efficient, which is another important factor in developing countries where the domestic market is limited by low purchasing power and sometimes by the small size of the market itself. Therefore, this research aimed at the overall Design Strategic Model for Development of Complementary Date Conversion Industries in Khuzestan Province. Since Khuzestan province is the first date producer in Iran. This research was conducted to compile a strategic model (TOWS) in developing industry of date palm complementary and processing in Khuzestan province. In this research, firstly, by using analytical studies and literature review, the subject of the four SWOT points including: 7 weaknesses, 7 opportunities, 7 strengths, and 6 threats were identified, and then were prioritized by the AHP technique. The statistical population of this study included experts in relevant organizations that 24 of them were selected, purposefully as a sample for the study. Data processing was performed using SWOT-AHP technique and using Expert choice software. Findings showed that in evaluating the criteria, weaknesses, threats, strengths, and opportunities were ranked from best to worst, respectively, which indicates the dominance of risky space over useful space. Furthermore, the results showed that among the strengths, “reduction of date waste and its optimal use in order to increase the economic power of the regions” was the most important point. In addition, among the weaknesses, “technology weakness, and inability to compete with date producing countries” was the most prominent point. For opportunities; “changing in composition of export products, and getting rid of single-product and bulk export”, and also for the threat points,” reducing investment in agricultural sector and developing date palm cultivation” were the most influential points. Furthermore, in prioritizing strategic areas, it was concluded that the first strategy was WT (defense strategy), the second strategy was WO (adaptive strategy). Furthermore ST strategy (contingency strategy) was third, and finally SO strategy (invasion strategy) was the last strategy. Considering the predominance of hazardous space over useful space, it is recommended to pay special attention to this issue, because neglecting it in Khuzestan province, as a center of date production, would cause irrecoverable risks in long term.

Ajichay basin is one of the largest agricultural areas and water consumption in Urmia Lake basin. During the recent years, the impact of climate change on one hand, and human factors on the other hand, have changed Ajichay basin to a center of crisis as it has lost its efficiency in supplying water for Urmia Lake. Having the main branches of Ajichay, Sarab county has a great role in crop production and therefore agricultural water consumption compared to other counties around the basin. Therefore, managing water consumption in Sarab County is suggested to resolve the decreased quality and quantity of water in Ajichay basin. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of climate and water management scenarios on water resources, cropping pattern, yield, and profits of farmers in Sarab County. To achieve the study aims, the hydro-economic model was used. In the economic section, quadratic risk programming model and in the hydrological section, the WEAP-MABIA model was used. The purpose in quadratic risk programming model is to maximize the expected farmers’ utility to some technical and structural restrictions. Maximum expected utility of farmers which is calculated by subtracting the risk element from the net income for each crop. MABIA uses a two-part crop coefficient. In the dual crop coefficient approach, the effects of crop transpiration and soil evaporation are determined separately. Two coefficients are used: the basal crop coefficient (Kcb) to describe plant transpiration, and the soil water evaporation coefficient (Ke) to describe evaporation from the soil surface. The current study applied HadCM3, as the general circulation model. LARS-WG was used for downscaling climatic generator and producing rainfall, radiation, and minimum and maximum temperature in a station under A2, B1, and A1B emission scenarios. The period 1987-2018 was used as the base and the future considered period was 2018-2050. All required variables such as information about input values, production quantities, and economic information were collected from 210 questionnaires filled by farmers during 2018 which were selected through stratified random sampling. The results showed that the average rainfall decreased in the range of 21-38% under the emission scenarios of A2, B1, and AIB during 2018-2050 period. In the next period of 2018-2050, the average annual temperature will also increase by 2.5 °C compared to the baseline period under A2 scenario. The results of simulations revealed that the crop yields would undergo a decrease after climate change scenarios. The most considerable yield reduction belongs to A2 scenario in which potato will have the highest yield reduction of 17%. The crop yields of barley and wheat shows a slight reduction. Thus, these two products have larger cropping area in the climatic scenarios. The results of climate change indicate a diminishing trend in available water and water supply reliability for agricultural purposes. The available water for irrigation areas had 21.92% decrease after applying climate change scenario. The mean for water supply reliability in the sub-basin decrease from 84.93% to 62.35% if the future years continue to have a decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature. By applying the scenario of agricultural water reduction along with climate change scenario, the profit in each region will decrease compared to the reference scenario. The highest reduction rate belongs to Asbforushan 2 area with 28% compared to the reference scenario.The profit in all the sub-bases had a rise after increasing irrigation efficiency scenario. Thus, applying increasing efficiency scenario, in addition to more useful and efficient use of allocated water, will also increase farmers' profits which offer a better situation than the scenario of reducing the share of agricultural water.Among the studied crops, bean had the highest reduction in cultivation, which stemmed from its high-water requirement. However, potato also had a high water requirement compared to bean but maintained a high cropping area due to higher gross profits. Findings of the current study revealed that wheat and barley had more resistance against the effects of climate change and shifting the patterns of cropping was an adaptive strategy for coping with the effects of climate change.Climate change reduces the labor employment. As Implementing A2 scenario results in a 14.48% decrease in the average of agricultural employment in the area. The agricultural water reduction scenario alone results in 5.9% decrease in labor, whereas the increasing irrigation efficiency scenario has an 8.9% decrease. Applying the agricultural water reduction scenario along with climate change reduces the employment by 17.2% in the region by reducing the area under cultivation of crops that require a lot of labor. The increasing irrigation efficiency along with climate change scenario also results in a 20.9% reduction in labor employment. Overall, the findings of the current study revealed that without changing the management strategies there would be a considerable reduction in crop yield in near future. Optimizing management methods, selection of right time for crop cultivation, optimized harvest, studying the feasibility of cultivating crops with shorter growth period and using cultivars with higher yield are the effective ways to confront the effects of climate change. The analysis of scenarios revealed that policies alone cannot compensate for water problems and there is a need for plenty of scenario for optimum results.