مجتبی دهقانپور

Monitoring and evaluating adaptation policies can have various functions, including identifying and understanding the need for intervention, facilitating the design of new adaptation policies, or justifying budget allocation. The purpose of this study was to analyze climate change adaptation policies in agriculture. For this purpose, a Multi-criteria analysis approach was used. Data collection was done using a questionnaire consisting of 86 adaptation policies in 5 categories including financial and credit policies, research, planning and technology, infrastructure and conservation of water and soil resources, training and extension, and Institutional policies.  Criteria of effectiveness, urgency, efficiency, power, side effects, equity, flexibility, organizational legitimacy, and feasibility were used for evaluation. Samples selected, using purposive sampling. Visual PROMETHEE software used to analyze the data. Results showed that the effectiveness criterion was the most important criterion. Among the financial and credit policies "provide low-interest facilities to prioritize the pattern of optimal national and regional cultivation" was the most important policy. "Planning to integrate native and modern agricultural knowledge to introduce new options for adaptation or climate change", "installing smart water meter on agricultural water wells”, and "reviewing the process of submitting surface and groundwater harvesting permits" were the most important policies among “research, planning and technology”, “infrastructure policies” and “institutional policies” categories, respectively.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of sustainability of adaptation policies with regard to sustainability indicators. In terms of methodological process, this study was conducted in two consecutive stages. The first stage of this research involves identification and extraction a list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to climate change adaptation policies in agriculture based on a qualitative research paradigm and utilizing focused group techniques and interview with 17 experts from Ministery of Agriculture Jihad. In the second stage of the research, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was conducted to compare pairs of criteria and sub-criteria with respect to the main goal of sustainability of policies as well as pair-wise comparison of each set of alternatives into four classes of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Data were analyzed by Expert Choice software. After determining the weight of each criterion and sub-criterion, the alternative priorities were identified as four components of strength, weakness, opportunity and threat. The results showed that environmental, economic and social criteria were the most important to achieve sustainability of policies, respectively. Also in environmental criteria, “non-emission of greenhouse gas”, in economic criteria, “helping to diversify farmers' income” and in social criteria, “attention to social participation” were identified as the most important sub-criteria.

In order to identify the most effective educational-promotion methods, this study evaluated different extension training methods in climate change adaptation programs using different criteria. For this purpose, individual, group, and mass extension training methods consisting of 26 options were evaluated through six criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, acceptance, participation, gender fit and usefulness, and 12 sub-criteria through multi-criteria decision-making technique of PROMETHEE. Samples were selected using purposive sampling and included extension and education experts from Ministry of Agriculture Jihad (6 persons), extension and education experts from Jihad-Agricultural Organization of Fars Province (10 persons) and farmers of Fars Province (10 persons). Based on the findings of the study, the sub criteria of usefulness in behavior change has the highest weight percent and importance. Also the results of ranking of extension training methods showed that in terms of farmers and agricultural experts, among the individual methods of meeting with eminent farmer and meeting with experts and extension agents were higher. In addition, among the group-based training methods, specialized training workshops have been effective extension training techniques to improve adaptation to climate change. In addition, mass media, especially radio and television, have been most effective methods of mass training methods in adaptation training.

The purpose of this study was to explain the role of communication channels on farmers' adaptation intention towards drought using planning behavior theory. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire which its validity and reliability were confirmed by a group of subject specialists and doing a pre-study and calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, respectively. The population of this study consisted of farmers in the central part of Marvdasht township (N=8602), of which 367 individuals were estimated using Krejcie and Morgan tables and using random sampling method Simple were selected. The results indicated that there is a meaningful difference in adaptation’s behavioral intention towards drought based on the communication channels they have been used. According to the findings, the highest average of behavioral intention was related to the television and agricultural experts at the same time. Also, the results showed that the least average behavioral intention was related to friends and relatives. This finding also confirmed by the Bonferoni sequence test. Finally, the effect of each variable of the theory of planned behavior on the behavioral intention of the respondents based on each communication channels determined. The results indicated that the subjective norm influences on respondent's behavioral intention in all communication channels. According to the findings, some suggestions were made for the proper decision making of using communication channels in order to prepare for climate change.

Barriers of women’s participation could result from the prevailing social, economic and political systems. One instrument to economic equity is micro credit funds. Micro credit funds all over the world rely on feedback from women as their clients. Evaluation of micro credit funds clients’ satisfaction is essential for both internal and external reasons. In light of these facts, the aim of this paper is to measure women’ satisfaction with micro credit funds in Iran. The population of interest consisted of women who participate in the two micro credit funds in Fars and Khuzestan Province of Iran. Our study sample consisted of 800 Women who were selected through a simple random quota sampling method (n=200) based on a list of names from the Funds. The face validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of experts. Additionally, Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients shows, all scales indicated good-to-excellent reliability, generally 0.7 to 0.9. The t-test analysis revealed that Participants in Fars and Khuzestan significantly differ from each other regarding their loyalty to funds. The mean score of Fars participants was higher than that of Khuzestan participants. The regression analysis revealed that expectation from funds and perceived quality explained 27% of the variance in participant perceived value. While expectation, perceived value and perceived quality explained 67% of the variance in participant satisfaction. Finally, expectation, perceived value, perceived image and satisfaction explained 42% of the variance in participant loyalty regarding micro credit funds.

Intention to entrepreneurship is one of the most important predictor factor about entrepreneurship’s behavior of people in the future. This study was done for investigation the intention to entrepreneurship at undergraduate by using of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Target population was unemployed undergraduate of Khuzestan Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University. Stratified random sampling method was used to select the sample. Data were collected through questionnaires and then data were analyzed. Validity of questionnaire was confirmed by a comments of experts of agricultural extension and education. Then Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the reliability of various sections of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaire items were at an appropriate level. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS20 software. Results indicated that two variables attitude to entrepreneurship and taking risk can significantly anticipate of changing toward intention to entrepreneurship (R2=65). Finally, to improve undergraduate intention to entrepreneurship, some suggestions have provided.

Pest biological control is identified as key strategies for Integrated Pest Management. This study aimed to assess barriers of pest biological control in rice farms. Data were gathered by survey techniques through questionnaire. Subjects for this study were rice growers who used pest biological control programs in 14 villages of Sari County in 2013. Using Cochran formula and cluster random sampling method with optimizes allocation 138 farmers were selected as sample of this research. Face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts of Agri-Jihad management of Sari County and some faculty members. The reliability of main scale of questionnaire (barriers to use of biological control) verified based on calculated Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79. The results revealed that farmers perceived the supportive and extension problems such “tack of timely delivery of Trichogramma spp”, “lack of coordination between extension department and plant protection departments” and lack of skill such “difficulties to obtain of fly peak for butterfly” as the main barriers. The results of factor analysis showed that the “inadequate of supportive and extension services”, “inadequate technical facilities”, “skill problems” and “climate incompatibility” explained 71.04% variance related to barriers to use of biological pest control. The results of comparative tests showed that variables such: gender, age, farming experience, education, land size, farm income, non-farm employment, membership in rural institution, participation in extension program as well as continues trend in adoption of biological control were found to be the major factors affecting the farmers perceived biological pest control barriers.

Because of rapid increasing of population and the necessity of employment creation, it is necessary to be presented alternatives for employment and the economic dynamic of households. Home-based business is an important approach to achieve this goal. Home-based business has many advantages, which it can establish balance between family responsibilities and employment of family members, and create family employment context and the possibility of exchanging experiences through non-formal education methods mentioned master-pupil between family members. Law for supporting and organizing home-based businesses, was approved in 2010, provides the background to facilitate entrepreneurship in various sectors of the economy including agriculture sector. Identifying and developing the potential of home-based business opportunities for development of job skills, reduce production costs, increase capital productivity and increase household income, promoting home-based business management through linkage with upstream firms and cluster organizations, trade unions, cooperatives and guilds and finally facilitate the provision of home-based businesses, are goals of organizing and supporting law of home businesses. In this article we review the benefits of home businesses, within the framework mentioned to reach the entrepreneurship in agricultural sector.

Environmental unsustainability is a global issue assumed to be of importance to every nation. Success in the conservation of environment, therefore, requires environmental knowledge and communication with people so that learning and adopting of the environmental conservation are simultaneously realized. For this purpose, sustainability indicators are among the primary means of helping individuals, institutions, and communities to make more different and appropriate choices for the future of their environments. Such indicators are not readily responding questions by themselves, but they may direct us to better responses if reliable information is provided over valuable issues on life. The indicators are divided into three categories including distinctive, comparative, and directional. Directional indicators are focused on action rather than numerical symbols. These are illustrated in symbols and, for reasons of dynamism, assume personal, social, cultural, and geographical differences; thus, they are very functional in informing, educating and learning about the environmental sustainability. This paper aims at explaining the directional indicators of the environmental sustainability and thereby drawing their functions.