درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose - Rural production cooperatives (RPCs) play an important role in sustainable development in rural areas by considering three principles: domination, possession, and agency in the agriculture sector. The purposes of this study are to measure the stability of RPCs and presenting effective strategies to achieve it from the managers’ view point. Design/methodology/approach - The present study is a mixed-research method using analytic-descriptive method, including two different questionnaires. One questionnaire aiming at prioritizing and measuring the stability of the RPCs was prepared and presented to the members of RPCs. Stability was measured with 24 indices in three economic, social, and environmental dimensions using Shannon Entropy technique, according which the cooperatives were prioritized. The other questionnaire was prepared to present the best approach to achieve sustainable development from the view point of the managing directors and the board of directors. The best strategy was adopted using SWOT and ANP analysis. Findings - Regarding the sustainable development, the findings of the study indicated that among rural production cooperatives in Isfahan, 12 cooperatives were unstable, 8 cooperatives were semi-stable, and 8 cooperatives were stable; this type of farming system is semi-stable. Developmental strategy (SO) was adopted as the best strategy to achieve sustainability, and the focus was on endogenous development through reinforcing internal strengths to obtain external opportunities. It includes promoting self-reliance through increasing members’ participation in cooperative, empowering the staff and members (i.e. the experienced managing director and the staff with required specialty and expert holding promotional classes), using multilevel, multi-sectorial, multi-cluster, collaborative, and holistic approaches to manage the RPCs, and promoting systems based on collaborative team work. Practical Implications - In rural sustainable development planning, sustainable farming systems must be considered as the focal core of any development plan. Since a big part of farming system in rural areas is devoted to smallholdings, promoting cooperation culture by the rural development planners can prepare the ground for empowering the villagers to obtain sustainable development. Originally/value: For the first time in Iran, the current research attempted to present functional strategies for RPCs development using a mixed-method design.

Purpose- The aim of this study is to identify and prioritize the obstacles to capacity development in gardening exploitations of the villages of Padena Olya in Semirom County. Design/methodology/approach - The present study has been done with causal - descriptive research method and the data has been completed using questionnaire and interview tools. In addition, 273 samples were chosen (using Cochran formula) from the family farming of Padena Olya Village as the statistical population and it has been completed by the random sampling method. Data analysis is done using both quantitative method, including descriptive and inferential statistics (path analysis and structural equation modeling using Amos Graphic software), and qualitative method, including Atlas software. Findings - The analysis of qualitative findings based on semi-structured interviews and focus groups showed that the main obstacles related to capacity development are of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Data coding based on the grounded theory also showed the most important obstacles in marketing categories, the environmental obstacles, the obstacles of participation, also and educational and promotional obstacles. Finally, the quantitative data analysis using structural equation modeling, in addition to the obstacles presented in the qualitative model, has estimated production capacities and empowerment as mediating variables in the final model of capacity development obstacles in the study area. The economic obstacles with 0.33 and environmental obstacles with 0.17 have the greatest effect on the lack of capacity development of the exploitations in the study area, respectively. Research limitations/implications - They include the lack of cooperation of relevant organizations in the presentation of information, as well as the low interest of operators to participate in the interview and cooperation to collect the qualitative data which led to an increase in the duration of attendance within the study area, held more group sessions, and thus slowed down the process of study. Practical implications - We propose a plan for increasing government support to gardener in various affaires, such as increasing the share of insurance premiums. It is also advisable to attempt to determine the fair price or the guarantee purchase of the gardeners' products and create cooperatives to manage the sales and marketing of the product to remove the brokers and dealers. Originality/value - The present study stresses the capacity development process of horticulture through identifying and analyzing the effects of obstacles and capacity building and empowerment of farmers. This research explores the hidden variables and the barriers to capacity development in gardening exploitations.