Identification and prioritization of strategies for achieving sustainable agriculture in rice production (Case study: Guilan Province, northwest Iran)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Economic, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Guilan, Iran

2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

10.22124/cjes.2025.8954

Abstract

Considering the role of rice in ensuring the country's food security, this research examines suitable proposed strategies for achieving sustainable rice production in Guilan Province. The statistical population of the research consists of rice farmers in Rasht County and agricultural experts. A total of 383 rice farmers were selected as a sample using a multi-stage sampling method. The sampling of experts was conducted using a complete enumeration method, with a total of 70 individuals included. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by 10 university professors and experts from the Agricultural Jihad Organization, and its reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha, resulting in a value of 0.81. In order to prioritize and determine the intensity of the impact of the criteria and sub-criteria for achieving sustainable agricultural development in rice production in Guilan Province, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) approaches were utilized. In this regard, a pairwise comparison questionnaire was designed based on a decision tree, and the necessary information was collected from 15 experts (10 specialists and 5 sample farmers) through in-person interviews and the completion of the pairwise comparison questionnaire. The results indicated that seven factors extracted from exploratory factor analysis (improvement of environmental, social, and educational conditions in rice production; innovation and supportive incentives for rice production; financial strategies; Enhancement of production infrastructure and processes; environmental strategies; support from public and private sectors for rice production; and stringent support for the production of healthy products) explained 72.59% of the variance in the variables. The findings of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) analysis also showed that the criteria "innovation and supportive incentives for rice production," "financial strategies," and "improvement of production infrastructure and processes" are, respectively, the most important factors for sustainable agricultural development in rice production in Guilan Province, with average relative weights of 21.27%, 19.11%, and 17.25%. Sustainable agriculture is a management approach that can eliminate the negative consequences of traditional agriculture and provide sustainable production, especially in the strategic crop of rice. One of the important provinces in rice cultivation is Guilan province and Rasht city. A study of the status of rice cultivation among rice farmers shows that the level of agricultural knowledge is poor and farmers often use unscientific methods in the rice production process. However, according to experts, innovations and supportive incentives should be used in order to achieve sustainable agriculture in rice production. As a result, the first requirement for sustainable agriculture in rice production is to improve the level of knowledge, increase communication, improve the level of public awareness, and improve the environmental attitude of farmers. Also, financial support and equipping infrastructure can be effective in achieving sustainable agriculture.
 

Keywords

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Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences
Volume 23, Issue 3
July 2025
Pages 757-769

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