ربابه محمدزاده

Purpose- The growing attention to rural development issues has created a strong trend in related scientific communities, as over the last few years one can see the traces of this thinking in many relevant scientific trends. One of the most important relevant subjects was job creation using the resources available in rural areas in line with their industrialization and the emergence of agro-processing industries. Spatial distribution of rural industries, spatial justice and their fair distribution based on the distribution of rural settlements have been among the most important concerns in this field. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the distribution of agro-processing industries with a spatial approach in rural areas of Gilan Province.  Design/methodology/approach- This research is an applied one conducted in a descriptive-analytical method. The collected data were analyzed using the average nearest neighbor, multi-distance spatial cluster analysis, mean center and standard deviational ellipse. Results showed that industries in rural areas of Gilan Province have been located in clusters. Finding- That is, their sites were selected with an eye to favorable conditions such as proximity to cities, population centers and markets, access to infrastructure, proximity to political and decision-making centers, access to major roads, access to more raw materials and cheaper agro-processing industries. Such industries are often located in the counties of Rasht, Rudsar, Astar, Talesh, Lahijan, Langrud and Sowmehsara. Therefore, the officials in charge should make plans to establish agro-processing industries in a more scattered and diverse manner in Gilan Province.