Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Year:2020 | Volume:51 | Issue:1|Papers Count:17

Knowledge is usually known as an intangible input in production. While knowledge, according to the theoretical foundations of knowledge-based economy (KBE), as a permanent source in all sectors of economy including the agricultural sector has always increased production, competitive advantage, and added value with participation in production flow. Nevertheless, producing within the KBE’ s framework and how to enter knowledge into the flow of agricultural productions are some of the most complex issues in the economy. Therefore, considering the importance of KBE and the special attention of policymakers to its realization in upstream documents, the present study tries to discuss the concept of knowledge-based economy in Agricultural productions and about how knowledge affect productions by using past studies and reviewing them with analytical and descriptive methods. The findings provide useful information for better understanding about KBE concept in agricultural productions. Past studies in KBE shows that knowledge as an input and public good derived from successful research influences the production flow through total factor productivity. In other words, in KBE a part of total factor productivity is determined by the knowledge stock derived from research and extension expenditures. This part can be a benchmark to measure extent of knowledge in activities by influencing the production flow.

In Iran, conventional tillage practice has resulted in soil erosion and loss of soil organic matter which has been further aggravated by the practice of crop residue removal and burning. Conservation Agriculture (CA) can be regarded as a means to enhancing productivity, reducing poverty, and mitigating the consequences of climate change in rural households. In this study, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) used to understand the factors affecting conservation agriculture acceptance, data collected through a questionnaire, consisting of 260 farmers from Zarghan area, in period 2014-2015. The results of TPB model showed that about 78% variation in farmers' intention is explained by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, and farmers' attitude is found to be the stronger predictor of intention. Moreover, high education level and off-farm income had the most significant and positive effects on the farmers' attitude towards adopting the conservation agriculture methods. The findings of this study could help to improve the understanding of farmers' adoption dynamics related to CA, and of how farmers may approach this and other new technologies.

Natural resources are valuable gifts that God has granted to humane who benefit from it carelessly. Proper and fair use of these resources is human task that any person directly or indirectly associated with it. Thus, considering public participation in environmental conservation is a matter of great concern. In this regard, this study aimed to examine the challenges and strategies for attracting public participation in environmental conservation projects in rural areas. A survey was conducted among intermediate managers of the department of natural resources and watershed of Zanjan province (N=132). 105 of managers were surveyed based on random sampling. The main tool of this study was questionnaire; face validity of which was approved by a panel of experts. For determining the reliability of questionnaire, Cronbaches' alpha coefficient was calculated which for the main scale of questionnaire (α >0. 7). Analysis of data was done with SPSS/windows. The results of factor analysis indicated that from respondents' viewpoint challenges to public participation in environmental conservation projects were categorized in fourfactor including; "lack of projects quick impact", "lack of familiarity with the techniques of participation, " "the lack of legal criteria for people and government agent about participation" and "lack of attention to people's demands". Totally, these four factors could explain 65. 78 percent of the total variance. Furthermore, from respondents' viewpoint strategies of public participation in environmental conservation projects were categorized in the three factors including: "counseling with people and participatory monitoring", "informing people about the project" and "financial support and incentives" that totally explained 69. 10 percent of total variance.

Nowadays, the importance of supply chain research in the agricultural sector is emphasized by numerous researchers. They believe that the supply chain is a key factor in maintaining the competitive advantage of farmers' products on the market. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze agribusiness supply chain risk vulnerability with grounded theory approach in Hamadan province. The population was greenhouse owners which 14 of them were selected through a typical case purposeful sampling and revelatory case purposeful sampling method as the sample of the study. Semi-structured interviews were used as the research instrument. In this study, qualitative approach and the grounded theory method (including 3 stages: initial open coding, pivotal and selective stages) were used for risk identification. Initial open and pivotal coding included 40 concepts and 49 categories, respectively, that at the end, they were divided into four selective categories including product risk, supply, distribution, and customer in the form of internal and external risks for each one. In this study, the pivotal code in the grounded theory was product risk (internal and external risks). Therefore, the findings of this study suggest: A practical approach to risk management and supply chain vulnerability assessment.

Human beings are generators of wealth, if they are considered as human capital. The basis of the theory of human capital is that the reason for the income difference of individuals is because of the difference in their productivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of human capital dimensions on the productivity of broiler production. This study was descriptivecorrelational and the study population included 105 broiler breeding units in Ardabil city. Based on the willingness to cooperate and the possibility of interviewing, 30 broiler were selected as samples. The interview method has been used for collecting data along with a rigidity questionnaire. In this research, Human Resources Productivity Questionnaire Hersey and Goldsmith (2003) and Nadery and Marimoto Productivity Questionnaire (2009) have been used based on Likert scale. The results of the value retrieval model showed that human cost dimensions have a positive and significant effect on broiler units productivity. Among the dimensions of human capital, the Beta coefficient has the greatest impact on productivity. The value of the determination coefficient obtained by the model also indicates the ability of the model to explain the behavior of the dependent variable by the independent variable.

Nowadays, institutions and institutional quality of countries have become one of the most important issues in the international trade literature which based on the empirical findings of various studies have been considered as one of the main trade barriers in countries and have led to a change in the country's trade model. Therefore, the purpose of this article is evaluation of the effect of Iran’ s institutional quality and her major trading partners on Iranian agricultural products exports. To achieve this goal, Iran's agricultural exports to 45 major trading partners’ data were analyzed using the gravity model over the period of 2002-2014. The results showed variables of trade partners GDP, trade agreements and common border have had positive and significant effects and distance and economic similarity have had negative and significant effect on Iranian agricultural exports. Also, the institutional quality of Iran and her trading partners have had negative and positive effects on agricultural exports of Iran, respectively. In other words, the low institutional quality of Iran has been recognized as one of the barriers of Iran’ s agricultural exports. Therefore, since improving the quality of domestic institutions through reducing risk and transaction costs can play a decisive role in increasing agricultural exports, it is suggested that more investment be made in improving the domestic institutions infrastructures in order to be benefited by the global trade environment.

One of the crises in Iranian agriculture sector is drought and identfying the risk management solutions for this problem are a necessity. The purpose of this research is analyzing the agricultural drought risk management strategies by fuzzy Delphi method that a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods was performed. The statistical population of the research consisted of key experts including subject mater related administrators and specialists of state organizations in Lorestan province. 20 of them were selected as sample using chain purposfull sampling. This research uses the risk and crisis cycle model by whilhite which risk management solutions fall into three categories: "reduction", "planning" and "monitoring and forecasting". The results showed that the most important priority in the reduction step was watershed management and aquifer development; at the planning step, preparation and implementation of the Land use Planning and In the step of monitoring and forecasting, establishing warning systems. based on results land use planning, adjusting the Cropping patern, international and regional collaboration for reinforcement of warning systems and drought monitoring and training and continous training to related practioners was recommended.

The main purpose of this paper was examining challenges of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for participation in agricultural development policy-making. The Statistical population of study composed of experts of Agricultural and Natural Resources Engineering (ANRE) Organizations at province level (N=349). 112 of the experts of ANRE selected randomly in two stages which determined by Cochran formula. The data were collected by questionnaire which its face and content validity was approved by a panel of experts. For measuring the reliability of questionnaire, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was applied and the obtained coefficient for participation in policy-making process and challenges parts were, 0. 92 and 0. 78, respectively. These amounts showed that research instrument was reliable. Exploratory factor analysis showed that challenges facing NGOs in agricultural development policy-making in the "external factors", "communication gap" and "internal factors" were identified. The most important challenges were related to external factors, especially laws and regulations of NGOs.

Interpersonal Communication Skills are one of the most effective factors on Faculty members’ Educational performance. Appropriate Communication context, provides better transfer of concepts and information. The statistical population of the study consisted all faculty members in Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (N=120), Out of which 98 Faculty members has been selected through Convenient Sampling technique. The Research instrument was a questionnaire and its Validity was assessed by a group of Faculty Members and Experts judgment from the University of Tehran and the Reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The correlation coefficient between Interpersonal Communication Skills with the respondents’ Educational Performance was 0. 313, showed a high correlation between positive Interpersonal Communication Skills of faculty members and their Educational performance. Finally, based on the results of the study, recommendations and guidelines for Agricultural higher Education planners presented.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of farmers' time perspective on their drought risk management behavior in downstream of Karkheh dam. This research is a descriptivecorrelational and ex post facto research that was conducted using a survey. The statistical population was farmes who were members in water user association in downstream of Karkheh dam, Khuzestan province (N=3668) which 350 of them were selected using Karjesi and Morgan table and stratified random sampling method with proportional assignment. The research instrument was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts in the field of agricultural extension and education and its reliability was determined using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0. 79≤ α ≤ 0. 92). The findings indicated that farmers' risk management behavior is moderate and most farmers have a present-oriented viewpoint. Also, from the viewpoint of time perspective, there is a significant difference between past-orientd farmers and others (presentorinted and future-orinted farmers) from the perspective of drought risk management practices, and the past-orientd group exhibits a weaker behavior in this regard. Accordingly, as a policy strategy in water resource management planning, shift farmers' time perspectives should be considered from past-oriented to present and, in particular, to future perspectives.

The goal of this research was to investigate the effect of farmers' entrepreneurship mentality as effective variable on demand – driven agricultural extension. Statistical population included of 250 farmers who participated in the plane of "Targeted Template Site" that with using of stratified random sampling method with appropriate assignment and by Kerjessy and Morgan table, the number of 148 farmers selected as research sample. The instrument of gathering information was questionnaire that validity investigated based on view of experts of Buali Sina and Tehran universities and necessary reforms has done. Also realibility of questionnaire showed that alpha coronbakh coefficient was 0. 90 and more that revealed very good realibility for different parts of questionnaire. The gathered datas through SPSS and AMOS analyzed. Demand – driven agricultural extention as dependent variable analyzed on two dimentions: client-oriented and market-oriented. Finally farmers' enteprenuership and empowerment have positive and significant effect on demand – driven agricultural extension.