Mohammad Reza Sayadi; Mehdi Ghorbani; Mohammad Jafari; Hamidreza Keshtkar; Leila Avazpour
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the medicinal plant supply chain in the Nadushan region using a Glaser approach. The research method is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of method based on grounded theory and Glaser approach (emerging approach); and ...
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The objective of this paper is to identify the factors affecting the medicinal plant supply chain in the Nadushan region using a Glaser approach. The research method is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of method based on grounded theory and Glaser approach (emerging approach); and it is exploratory based on the nature of the data and the use of inductive philosophy. The study population consisted of experienced local people and managers and experts in the field of the medicinal plant supply chain with more than five years of experience. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling and theoretical judgment. The data collection method was fieldwork, and the data collection tool was in-depth and structured interviews with 30 participants, including native farmers (15), researchers and experts (10), and intermediaries (5) in the field. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data and identify the key factors affecting the supply chain. The results identified 9 selective codes and 41 core codes. The factors affecting the supply chain include climate and weather, the region's high potential for medicinal plant cultivation, initial budget and capital, storage conditions, institutional support, policy, medicinal plant production and harvesting management, medicinal plant processing management, and the use of healthy practices in productivity. Therefore, ensuring a sustainable and efficient supply chain is crucial for maintaining the quality, availability, and affordability of medicinal plants.
Sosan Salajegheh; Leila Avazpour; Mehdi Ghorbani
Abstract
Since a significant portion of water resources and other essential resources required by communities are located in adjacent watersheds and suburban areas, the implementation of management programs often conflicts with the interests and demands of watershed residents. Resolving these disputes is only ...
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Since a significant portion of water resources and other essential resources required by communities are located in adjacent watersheds and suburban areas, the implementation of management programs often conflicts with the interests and demands of watershed residents. Resolving these disputes is only achievable through peaceful methods that safeguard the rights of all parties while ensuring environmental sustainability. Among effective approaches, the cooperation and participation of local communities along with strengthening the social capital of watershed inhabitants prove particularly valuable. Social capital, founded upon individual participation in collective activities and the establishment of mutual trust among community members, enhances the process of social engagement in comprehensive watershed management. This study measures and analyzes social capital in four villages of Bakharz County (Eshtivan, Chahar Tagh, Shahrak Shahid Beheshti, and Qaleh Now Shamloo) both before and after implementation of a rural development and improvement project. The research employs Social Network Analysis (SNA) methodology. Required data were collected through survey questionnaires and subsequently analyzed using UCINET software. Key network analysis indicators were calculated to assess social capital, including: network density (indicating connection levels among members), centrality (measuring influence and power within the network), reciprocity (evaluating mutual relationships), transitivity of relationships (showing cohesion and information flow), and average geodesic distance (assessing information dissemination speed). The findings reveal a substantial increase in social capital across all four villages following the local development project's implementation. This improvement appears particularly pronounced in Eshtivan village, where decreased power centralization coincided with increased trust and participation. The reduction in average geodesic distance and enhancement in relationship reciprocity further demonstrate the strengthening of social bonds and local institutions. These results underscore the critical importance of social capital in building social resilience and achieving sustainable rural development. Consequently, we recommend that policymakers and development planners prioritize strategies focused on reinforcing social capital, especially through establishing and supporting local institutions.
Mehdi Ghorbani; Leila Avazpour; Hossein Azarnivand; Hamed Rafiee
Abstract
the purpose of this research is to prioritize business plans. It is sustainable in line with the development of rural entrepreneurship with an emphasis on pasture ecosystem services. For this purpose, in the present study, 393 pasture users were selected from four villagesin Maneh and Samalghan cities.First, ...
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the purpose of this research is to prioritize business plans. It is sustainable in line with the development of rural entrepreneurship with an emphasis on pasture ecosystem services. For this purpose, in the present study, 393 pasture users were selected from four villagesin Maneh and Samalghan cities.First, the economic valuation of four main rangeland functions was carried out using the available questionnaire and random sampling method, then the potential of attracting income in each of these functions obtained. In the next step, the costs of each of these businesses were collected with the help of survey information. In the next step, the financial evaluation of business plans was done with the help of financial indicators, including NPV, B/C, ROI, and IRR. The results showed that the three businesses of animal husbandry, beekeeping and the establishment of eco-tourism accommodation have economic justification, and the business of packaging and processing medicinal plants has no economic justification.Prioritization of these four businesses by the indicators of the previous stages of the research by scoring each of the indicators Done. The results showed that in order of businesses; 1-Establishment of ecotourism residence, 2-animal husbandry (sheep breeding), 3-beekeeping and 4-medicinal plant processing have the first to fourth priority in order to empower the beneficiaries in the target villages.
Elham Akbari; Leila Avazpour
Abstract
In the last two decades, the concept of social capital has been emphasized through its connection with the basic social components, including awareness, participation, trust, cohesion and social network, in the direction of the sustainable development of societies, especially local societies; Therefore, ...
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In the last two decades, the concept of social capital has been emphasized through its connection with the basic social components, including awareness, participation, trust, cohesion and social network, in the direction of the sustainable development of societies, especially local societies; Therefore, to achieve sustainable local development, having social capital is essential. Considering the importance of this issue and relying on numerous problems and deficiencies at the level of villages in dry areas, this article analyzes the dynamics of social capital in the establishment of local sustainable development in the dry area of southern Kerman based on the method of social network analysis in two periods before and after. It has implemented the community-oriented project of empowering local communities in three villages of Gaubnan, Chahan and Chah Nasir of Qalaganj city. First, by completing the questionnaire and direct interview with the local stakeholders (the heads of the rural microcredit fund), the required data was collected. Then, outgroup social capital was investigated based on trust and participation links using quantitative and mathematical indicators of the macro level of the network (density index and E-I). The results show the increase of density index and improvement of out-group relations in the stage after the implementation of the project and strengthening the amount of out-gro, to realize rich outgroup social capital in this society, because the social dimension of development It is not possible to be sustainable without taking into account the social capital and the participation of that area.
