Research Article-en
Agricultural Economics
R.Y. Abdulsalam; Mad Nasir Shamsudin; Ahmad Hanis Izani Abdul Hadi
Abstract
As a dominant staple in Nigeria, domestic rice production has lagged behind demand for many years. Though, the country is endowed with a significant yield potential, a current yield of two metric tonnes per hectare which contributes to producing an average of 2.5 million metric tonnes of rice is insufficient ...
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As a dominant staple in Nigeria, domestic rice production has lagged behind demand for many years. Though, the country is endowed with a significant yield potential, a current yield of two metric tonnes per hectare which contributes to producing an average of 2.5 million metric tonnes of rice is insufficient to feed its growing population. Given the importance of pursuing a goal of rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, it is of great interest to academics and policy-makers to investigate and understand future rice demands and supplies as they affect national self-sufficiency levels, as well as their implications for trade at the global level. This situation served to inspire the objective of this paper which was to forecast Nigeria's rice self-sufficiency levels. Such a study could facilitate policy directives on extra efforts required to achieve its goal through improved planning decisions. Using time series data obtained from multiple sources and covering 1980 to 2018 period, this study adopted an econometric technique to model Nigeria's rice market in a partial equilibrium framework, which was estimated using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach. The choice of econometric approach was based on its ability to model the dynamics of Nigeria’s rice market, creating a model that can manage and predict its associated variables, thereby guiding policy processes for the rice market. To guide the analysis process in this study, a commodity market model was designed to represent demand, supply, and price components of the Nigeria rice market. The market rice price was determined based on the market clearing condition which equates the total supply of rice to its total demand. The model consisted of four structural equations representing paddy area harvested, paddy yield, paddy producer price and rice consumption per capita, and five identities for paddy production, rice production, rice import, rice retail price and rice self-sufficiency level. This model serves not just for projections but can also serve as a framework for consistent policy planning, forecasting and simulating the effects of regulatory policies. The results revealed that Paddy own price elasticity was 0.206 and had no influence on paddy area harvested. On the other hand, the national policy of rice credit guarantee scheme variable displayed a positive relationship with paddy area harvested. Lagged yield and lagged area harvested had positive influences on yield and area harvested, respectively. This could mean that paddy producers were motivated by previous year’s yield levels and area harvested. The own-price elasticity of rice was -0.321 and its cross-price elasticity was 0.193, with wheat revealed to be a substitute. The obtained elasticities were then used to make a ten-year projection from a base year of 2018. As an important step in econometric forecasting studies, the model was subjected to a validity test which provided a satisfactory confirmation of the model’s forecasting ability and performance. Specifically, the value of the Mean Absolute Percent Error revealed a reasonable forecast accuracy that the simulated values were off by less than 3%. Furthermore, individual components of the Theil inequality coefficient showed that the model had a good fit with little to no unsystematic forecasting error and overall, possesses a good forecasting ability. According to the projection, rice production averaged 4.30 metric tonnes annually, mainly stimulated by a 3.06% yield growth rate. In addition to yield growth, area harvested was projected to increase by 1.14% yearly accumulating a total rice production volume of 5.44 million metric tonnes by 2028. Nonetheless, this was not expected to have a significant effect on SSL because demand figures were projected to increase by 8.15% per year from the baseline to reach 7.66 million metric tonnes in 2028. Consequently, the shortfall will have to be compensated by imports of 3.85 metric tonnes yearly. These projections indicated that the goal of reaching self-sufficiency in rice seems to be farfetched, especially considering the smallholder nature of the production system. Overall, the projections suggested that by 2028, increasing rice production relative to dwindling imports will boost rice self-sufficiency level to 71%. However, the average yearly rice self-sufficiency level was 53%, requiring 3.85 million metric tonnes of rice imports. The projections revealed that Nigeria will not achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2028 unless intensive yield enhancing technologies are pursued. It was therefore, suggested that policies aimed towards yield-enhancing advancements are pursued at both national and state levels.
Research Article-en
Agricultural Economics
Samaneh Nikan; Ghader Dashti; Javad hosseinzad; Mohammad Ghahremanzadeh
Abstract
Rice is one of the most important agricultural products, and improving productivity of its factors is a prerequisite for increasing its production growth. The objective of this research is to decompose total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran. The required data for the period of 2000-2020 ...
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Rice is one of the most important agricultural products, and improving productivity of its factors is a prerequisite for increasing its production growth. The objective of this research is to decompose total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran. The required data for the period of 2000-2020 were collected from the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the Statistics Center of Iran. The rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes, were evaluated applying parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches. Based on estimated translog cost function, the annual growth of the total factor productivity was calculated to be 2.1% and technological change was realized to be positive in the country throughout the years and the most of these changes are due to the improvement of the technologies used. Since the technological change has made a significant contribution to improving the total factor productivity growth in this approaches, utilizing, improved seeds, modern machines, fertilizers and nutritional solutions, etc. are recommended in the process of rice production. Therefore, the results obtained have sufficient confidence and it is suggested to use parametric approaches as much as possible in future studies.Rice is one of the most important agricultural products, and improving productivity of its factors is a prerequisite for increasing its production growth. The objective of this research is to decompose total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran. The required data for the period of 2000-2020 were collected from the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the Statistics Center of Iran. The rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes, were evaluated applying parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches. Based on estimated translog cost function, the annual growth of the total factor productivity was calculated to be 2.1% and technological change was realized to be positive in the country throughout the years and the most of these changes are due to the improvement of the technologies used. Since the technological change has made a significant contribution to improving the total factor productivity growth in this approaches, utilizing, improved seeds, modern machines, fertilizers and nutritional solutions, etc. are recommended in the process of rice production. Therefore, the results obtained have sufficient confidence and it is suggested to use parametric approaches as much as possible in future studies.Rice is one of the most important agricultural products, and improving productivity of its factors is a prerequisite for increasing its production growth. The objective of this research is to decompose total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran. The required data for the period of 2000-2020 were collected from the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the Statistics Center of Iran. The rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes, were evaluated applying parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches. Based on estimated translog cost function, the annual growth of the total factor productivity was calculated to be 2.1% and technological change was realized to be positive in the country throughout the years and the most of these changes are due to the improvement of the technologies used. Since the technological change has made a significant contribution to improving the total factor productivity growth in this approaches, utilizing, improved seeds, modern machines, fertilizers and nutritional solutions, etc. are recommended in the process of rice production. Therefore, the results obtained have sufficient confidence and it is suggested to use parametric approaches as much as possible in future studies.Rice is one of the most important agricultural products, and improving productivity of its factors is a prerequisite for increasing its production growth. The objective of this research is to decompose total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran. The required data for the period of 2000-2020 were collected from the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the Statistics Center of Iran. The rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes, were evaluated applying parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches. Based on estimated translog cost function, the annual growth of the total factor productivity was calculated to be 2.1% and technological change was realized to be positive in the country throughout the years and the most of these changes are due to the improvement of the technologies used. Since the technological change has made a significant contribution to improving the total factor productivity growth in this approaches, utilizing, improved seeds, modern machines, fertilizers and nutritional solutions, etc. are recommended in the process of rice production. Therefore, the results obtained have sufficient confidence and it is suggested to use parametric approaches as much as possible in future studies.Rice is one of the most important agricultural products, and improving productivity of its factors is a prerequisite for increasing its production growth. The objective of this research is to decompose total factor productivity growth of rice production in Iran. The required data for the period of 2000-2020 were collected from the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the Statistics Center of Iran. The rice productivity growth and its components, including scale and technological changes, were evaluated applying parametric (stochastic frontier analysis) approaches. Based on estimated translog cost function, the annual growth of the total factor productivity was calculated to be 2.1% and technological change was realized to be positive in the country throughout the years and the most of these changes are due to the improvement of the technologies used. Since the technological change has made a significant contribution to improving the total factor productivity growth in this approaches, utilizing, improved seeds, modern machines, fertilizers and nutritional solutions, etc. are recommended in the process of rice production. Therefore, the results obtained have sufficient confidence and it is suggested to use parametric approaches as much as possible in future studies.
Research Article
Agricultural Economics
Mehdi Shabanzadeh-Khoshrody; Ebrahim Javdan; katayoon Shemshadi
Abstract
IntroductionDuring the last decade, due to the increase in food prices, the cost of a healthy diet in Iran has greatly increased. Although the government's support policies have been aimed at improving the living conditions of households, but the cost and income information of the Iranian Statistics ...
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IntroductionDuring the last decade, due to the increase in food prices, the cost of a healthy diet in Iran has greatly increased. Although the government's support policies have been aimed at improving the living conditions of households, but the cost and income information of the Iranian Statistics Center shows that due to inflationary conditions and the its impact on real income and purchasing power of consumers, these programs have not had the necessary effect in reducing poverty and food insecurity. While reducing poverty and increasing the food security index is a requirement for independent countries like Iran. In this regard, knowing the current situation of poverty, food insecurity and factors influencing it is not only the main condition for preparing future plans, but it is necessary to continue this work with the aim of monitoring and evaluating the results of implemented plans and actions.Materials and Methods In in the present study, the spatial distribution of poverty and food insecurity in the urban areas of Iran in 1401 has been investigated and then the factors affecting food insecurity have been identified. In order to achieve these goals, the nutritional performance matrix was drawn and calculated per capita calories in 1401 using the household income-expenditure information of Iran Statistics Center. In the following, using the mentioned information, the Aggregate Household Food Security Index (AHFSI) and the Foster, Greere and Thorbeke (FGT) poverty index were calculated and based on these indices, the spatial distribution of poverty and food insecurity in urban areas of Iran was analyzed. Finally, the impact of economic and demographic variables on food insecurity was analyzed in the framework of the logit model.Results and Discussion According to the results, the urban areas of the country are in low food security conditions; So that, only 45% of people have food security and about 55% of the residents of urban areas are either facing food insecurity or are on the border of food insecurity. On the other hand, the per capita calorie intake in the urban areas of the country is 2540 kcal, and generally these calories are supplied from cereals. In addition, there is inequality in the intake of calories in different provinces of the country, and the average intake of calories varies between 1988-3196 kcal among the provinces. Examining the status of food poverty indicators also shows that the average head count, gap and intensity of poverty in urban areas are 55.1%, 15.2% and 6% respectively. Based on these indicators, it can be said that 55.1% of the population of the urban areas of the country had food poverty in 1401 and the calorie intake of the poor households in these areas was 15.2% less than the minimum required daily calories; Therefore, to eliminate poverty, the caloric intake of poor households should be increased by 15.2%. Finally, the results of the logit model estimation showed that the variables of age, employment status, working hours of the head of the household, subsidy, income and food diversity have a positive and significant effect on the food security of the households, but the Family size has a negative effect on the food security. In addition, the two variables gender and literacy of the head of the household did not have a significant effect on the food security in urban areas of Iran.Conclusions In this regard, although the long-term solution is to increase household purchasing power, stabilize and reduce commodity prices through strengthening production and supply, but in the short-term, increasing salaries and wages in line with the inflation rate and increasing social support programs for the Low income deciels and weak society should be taken into consideration. In other words, income policies that can directly or indirectly increase the level of income and thus the purchasing power of the household, can be considered as a scientific and effective solution for food security. Moreover, the social support and poverty alleviation programs should be targeted and applied according to the needs and deficiencies in different geographical, demographic and income conditions. Finally, it should be acknowledged that improving the nutritional literacy of households can increase the nutritional knowledge and awareness of households, and therefore, by improving the variety and quality of the food they consume, it can lead to an increase in food security in urban areas of Iran.
Research Article
Agricultural Economics
Fatemeh Razzaghi; Taher Azizi Khalkheili; Ali Akbar Barati
Abstract
Introduction The lack of fresh water resources is one of the main crises that the world is increasingly facing with the constant availability of renewable water sources in the world. Therefore, increasing risks related to water is an important issue. The water crisis reduces crops production and negatively ...
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Introduction The lack of fresh water resources is one of the main crises that the world is increasingly facing with the constant availability of renewable water sources in the world. Therefore, increasing risks related to water is an important issue. The water crisis reduces crops production and negatively affects food security. Due to the increase in demand for food, agriculture section is under more pressure because of both water crisis and more demand for food. Agricultural sector has been also facing with water shortage due to climate changes caused by the more global warming and low precipitation. Water crisis and climate changes leading to a decrease in the crops production. Now, agriculture and livelihood of villagers has become unstable more than any time. Considering the importance of irrigated farming in Mazandaran province in the country's food security, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying the most important variables that affecting water security in Mazandaran province's.Materials and Methods The statistical population of the research was included 16 subject experts with research or executive experience in the fields related to water studies, water security and climate change. The selection of them was done in a purposeful way. The data collection tool was a researcher made questionnaire and the data collection method was face-to-face interview. At first, to identify the variables involved in water security a subject literature review and several semi-structured interviews with subject experts were conducted. Then, the experts were asked to evaluate the cross-effects of the identified variables through pairwise comparisons and in the form of the MICMAC questionnaire. Finally, the data were analysis using MICMAC software.Results and Discussion According to the results, among the studied variables, "knowledge and environmental literacy of villagers" and "reduction of precipitation due to climate change" (input variables) are two important key variables that directly and indirectly affect water security and therefore should be considered. The variables "best management of appropriate farm operations", "volume and diversity of water resources" and "good management and governance of agricultural water" are intermediate variables, with high influence and high dependence. Based on the direct influence network intensity of the key variables involved in water security, variables such as “best management of suitable farm operations”, “good management and governance of agricultural water”, “the degree of resilience of farmers to adapt to climate change” play a central and sensitive role. Based on the indirect relationships, “best management of appropriate farm operations”, “the degree of resilience of farmers to adapt to climate change”, “risk management of ecological hazards and climate change” have the greatest indirect effect on other variables and should be considered by policy makers and planners in this field.Conclusions Water crisis is a major challenge for agricultural activities and consequently for food security. Considering the vital role that Mazandaran province plays in the agricultural products production and as a result food security, the present study examined the most important variables affecting food security. The findings of this study showed that "good management and governance of agricultural water" has the most direct impact on water crisis management. Good water governance can be taken into consideration with the relative strengthening and synergistic participation of public and private sectors and non-governmental organizations in line with the planning and implementation of food security policy with the water-energy-food nexus approach. The role of increasing the environmental knowledge and literacy of villagers by providing effective educational-promotional services such as farm filed school is very important on the farmer's resilience and adaptability. On the other hand, variables such as good water management and governance, development of new irrigation systems and technologies, zoning of agricultural lands and the explanation of the appropriate cultivation pattern for each zone (such as planting crops with low water demand and high added value include medicinal plants) are undeniable impact on the livelihood resilience of the farmer's family and adaptation to climate change conditions. Diversify the livelihood resources of farming households with the participation of household women, promoting climate-oriented businesses that are compatible with climate changes (such as agricultural tourism and handicrafts), using drought-resistant species, changing the date of cultivation, developing greenhouse cultivation, medicinal plants and modernization of irrigation, change of history and cultivation pattern play an important role in the resilience of farmers to adapt climate change.
Research Article-en
Agricultural Economics
morteza majidian; Arash Dourandish
Abstract
Introduction Exporting agricultural products is considered one of the strategies for export development and sustainable economic growth in developing countries. Saffron, as an export product, holds significant importance. Iran, in particular, ranks among the top four saffron-exporting countries globally. ...
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Introduction Exporting agricultural products is considered one of the strategies for export development and sustainable economic growth in developing countries. Saffron, as an export product, holds significant importance. Iran, in particular, ranks among the top four saffron-exporting countries globally. Meanwhile, Iran faces severe oil price declines and endeavors to expand non-oil revenue sources. Attention to agriculture and products like saffron not only facilitates currency earning but also enables sustainable employment and prevents rural migration. Economically, saffron in Iran stands as the most expensive spice and a major production hub globally. Furthermore, a study compared the global market structure of pistachios as a part of the pistachio supply chain, revealing apparent relative advantages in exports to Iran's target countries. Based on the findings, despite the dominance of four major market players, the global market structure from 2012-2018 exhibited mostly oligopolistic tendencies, indicating low shares among competitors and high competition. However, due to significant market share and stability in market leadership, large countries have limited opportunities for smaller competitors. On average, pistachio exports to China, Russia, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Italy, and Kazakhstan have shown the highest relative advantage for Iran (Majidian et al., 2022).Materials and Methods The concept of comparative advantage in trade signifies that if a country can export a product at a lower cost compared to other countries, it holds a relative advantage in exports over other nations, potentially yielding higher profits from exports of goods in which it has a comparative advantage (Hanson et al., 2015). Market structure indicates the organizational characteristics of a market that can be used to determine the relationship between market components, competition, and pricing nature (Gajurel and Pradhan, 2012). Furthermore, the target countries for Iranian saffron are prioritized based on a set of indicators including the volume, value, and price of saffron exports, geographical distance, per capita income, gross domestic product, economic structure differences index, and population size. Ultimately, the most important target countries for Iranian saffron will be identified based on the obtained results. One of the most common methods for prioritizing markets based on a number of indicators is the topsis approach, which can be utilized for ranking regions in terms of relative advantages, potentials, and capacities. Additionally, in this study, the stability index of saffron-exporting and importing countries is introduced to determine the stability of saffron exporters and importers.Results and Discussion Based on the results obtained, the market structure of the global saffron market from 2003 to 2022, despite the high share among the top four market powers, indicates slightly higher shares among competitors and competition among the top four countries. Furthermore, the most important export competitors for Iranian saffron in the years under study are Spain, England, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, and China. However, given the high market leadership share, it is unlikely that smaller competitors can capture the markets of larger countries. Moreover, Iran is a country with strong export stability with a score of less than one (0.96) in saffron, even during export constraints and fluctuations, demonstrating that export constraints in saffron cannot challenge the country significantly. Additionally, Iran's export advantage index for saffron during the period from 2003 to 2022 has shown a relative advantage, indicating that Iran's relative advantage in saffron exports has increased in recent years. In this study, utilizing the topsis analysis method as an effective approach, Iran's target export markets for saffron during the period from 2003 to 2022 were identified. Ultimately, based on indicators such as saffron export volume, value, price, geographical distance, per capita income, gross domestic product, economic gap, and population between countries, potential target markets for Iran's future saffron exports were selected. The results of prioritizing Iran's saffron export markets showed that out of 98 importing countries of Iranian saffron, 53 countries were ranked as potential target export markets for Iranian saffron. Among the major actual markets for Iranian saffron, only 5 countries: China, UAE, Spain, India, and the USA, are among the top 10 priority countries, while the rest of the saffron importers from Iran are considered markets with weak priority for exports. Furthermore, Iran has the least export risk in saffron exports to Spain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and China, respectively.Conclusions Furthermore, Iran, with an average share of 13.6% in the saffron market, should prioritize markets where there is greater competitiveness for market penetration, market development, and branding. In order to initiate export marketing, the first step will be identifying the target market and determining its needs, which create demand for the country's products and services. It is also recommended to prioritize the use of domestic production resources such as water, energy, and allocated subsidies in an efficient system to increase value-added production, foreign exchange income, and transportation with the development of investment in completing the supply chain and marketing, facilitating the expansion of saffron export markets. Therefore, given that saffron exports have not been conducted within the framework of a coherent and principled marketing strategy, it is necessary to prioritize the development strategy of desired product exports based on the identified target markets according to the prioritization results. This will provide practical strategies for exporters and officials in the country's trade planning. Additionally, a long-term industrial development strategy and ultimately an export development and marketing strategy are among the essential requirements in this regard and are highly recommended. Furthermore, in saffron export, a policy should be adopted that flexibly focuses mainly on countries with high priority, allowing penetration into these markets while assessing the existing conditions in priority markets in order of importance and penetrating them with full awareness of all market conditions. Therefore, appropriate supportive policies should be adopted in the export sector to prioritize the development of exports and to understand and penetrate priority export markets effectively.
Research Article
Agricultural Economics
Mahkameh Khavamoshi Yazdi; Alireza Karbasi
Abstract
Introduction
The rapid growth of the chocolate market is characterized by changing consumer preferences for new and innovative products. Such conditions force manufacturers to regularly update the list of factors influencing the consumption of chocolate products and seek to identify the drivers of ...
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Introduction
The rapid growth of the chocolate market is characterized by changing consumer preferences for new and innovative products. Such conditions force manufacturers to regularly update the list of factors influencing the consumption of chocolate products and seek to identify the drivers of purchase intention in the chocolate market. For this purpose, this research has investigated the motivations and attitudes of choosing chocolate and their effect on the purchase intention chocolate by consumers, which is innovative in this field in Iran. It also seeks to provide marketing strategies and operational plans for chocolate manufacturing companies in order to improve various aspects including the quality of raw materials, pricing, packaging, distribution and sales, because the ability to compete effectively requires offering new products that meet the needs and preferences of consumers. It is also implementing flexible pricing policies, designing advertising campaigns and finally planning to meet the distribution needs of customers.
Materials and Methods
In this research, using structural equation modeling (SEM) and with the help of Smart PLS 3 software, the effect of variables healthy, mood, weight control, chocoholism, sensory, packaging, price, and trust brand on the purchase intention chocolate is investigated. has been the statistical population of this research is made up of employees, students, active people and members of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, because this university is one of the largest integrated and centralized campuses in the country, which is located in an area of more than 300 hectares, and many people from different cities in They are working and studying in this university. The measuring tool of the current research is a questionnaire and the scale used is a five-point Likert scale. This scale uses the basis of completely disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and completely agree. Also, the sample size was calculated based on Cochran's formula of 300 people and the samples were collected online in the form of Convenience Sampling in 1402.
Results and Discussion
The analysis of the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed that most of the respondents were women and people aged 20 to 29 with a bachelor's degree and single. The results also show that among the variables of healthy, mood, weight control and sensory, only the mood variable has a positive and significant effect on the chocoholism. Also, the variables of brand trust, packaging and price have a positive, direct and significant effect on the Purchase intention chocolate, but the tendency towards chocolate has a positive effect on the variable of Purchase intention chocolate, but it is not significant. Mood and packaging variables have been confirmed with a huge difference, which shows that these two factors are very important from the consumer's point of view. So that the mood of the consumers can have a significant effect on the consumption of chocolate and when people need to reduce tension and stress, they turn to chocolate. In addition, attractive packaging has the ability to attract consumers' attention and convey important information about the product, including taste, ingredients, and nutritional value. Also, most consumers buy chocolate products from their trusted brands, so in this case, famous and reliable brands usually have an advantage, and price sensitivity is different in different consumer groups, and discounts, promotions, and competitive pricing strategies can also be used. Also, feeling guilty about eating chocolate can cause internal conflict about eating chocolate and Influence consumers' Purchase intention chocolate. Weight control has not had a significant impact on the chocoholism, and people who are concerned about their health are more inclined to buy chocolates with healthy and nutritious ingredients. These factors are often interrelated and their importance may vary depending on individual preferences, demographics and market trends.
Conclusions
Considering that the production and consumption of chocolate in Iran is one of the most popular products in the consumer market, this theoretical framework can serve as a basis for future studies of consumer behavior in the chocolate industry. Therefore, it is recommended that companies active in the chocolate industry focus on product development, increasing brand trust, improving packaging, appropriate pricing, attractive marketing and advertising, continuous market research, active customer support, and paying attention to consumer demographic diversity. It is that the chocolate producing companies have more control over the quality, taste and smell. This enables them to market their products successfully, manage the market effectively, achieve good sales and establish a strong presence in domestic and international markets. These are among the general recommendations provided by this research.
Research Article
Agricultural Economics
wahhab Qelich
Abstract
Introduction The changes of global environmental have become a big challenge for the human community. Therefore, there is a need to provide special support to environmental projects in all dimensions, such as financial and economic dimensions. Paying attention to ethics and human and social values along ...
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Introduction The changes of global environmental have become a big challenge for the human community. Therefore, there is a need to provide special support to environmental projects in all dimensions, such as financial and economic dimensions. Paying attention to ethics and human and social values along with the concerns of environmental protection while doing economic activities makes activities in various economic and financial sectors such as the banking system, manufacturing and industrial enterprises, insurance companies, etc. is different than ever. It is necessary to put aside the purely market-oriented approaches focused on the rapid development of financial markets at any cost, so that other policies with greater health can replace them. Meanwhile, the concept called "green banking" is one of the most important examples of this support. This kind of banking, as an important part of ethical banking, plays a special role in protecting the environment. With a comprehensive explanation of green banking and by using theoretical studies and international experiences and obtaining opinions from relevant experts and experts, this research identified the factors affecting the trend of the country's banking network towards green banking by using the Delphi method, questionnaire analysis and Friedman's test.Materials and Methods The current research is completely practical in terms of its purpose and qualitative and descriptive-analytical in terms of implementation method. First, by using the Delphi method, the factors affecting the tendency of the banking to implement green banking are identified, and then the relevant data is collected using a questionnaire. In the following, the known factors are ranked and prioritized with Friedman's test. The statistical population of this research was all managers and banking experts in Tehran. The standard statistical sample used in the Delphi method is 10 to 30 questionnaires, of which 28 questionnaires are considered in this research. With the follow-ups, 23 questionnaires were completed and used in the research analysis. Also, 142 questionnaires have been prepared and collected in the implementation of Friedman's test. At this stage, the Likert scale has been used for research questions and scored by managers, branch heads and banking experts. A combined method has been used in the collection of research statistical data. At first, the concepts of green banking and ethical banking have been explained by using the library method and conducting free theoretical and field studies. In the following, with the Delphi technique and obtaining the opinions of relevant experts and experts, the most important factors affecting the tendency of the banking network to implement green banking have been calculated. In the following, the remaining important factors have been added to the set of factors with the method of intellectual generation.Results and Discussion Based on the results of the research, four main economic, structural, managerial and social criteria were identified in order to influence this tendency. In the sub-criteria section, the high inflation rate, the relative cheapness of energy prices and the presence of profitable parallel markets along with green deposits are mentioned as the most important reasons for the low tendency towards green banking. Also, the laws and regulations and the legal system, the recruitment system, the promotion and encouragement of bank managers and employees, the central bank's supervisory system, the senior managers' attitudes towards environmental issues, corporate governance, the bank's internal supervision, the attention to green banking in the selection and decision Customers, society's attitude towards environmental issues and the culture of demand among the most important sub-criteria affecting the trend of the Iranian banking towards green banking have been evaluated and introduced.Conclusions This research tried to identify and analyze the factors affecting the tendency of Iranian banking network towards green banking with a more comprehensive explanation of green banking and by using theoretical studies and international experiences and obtaining opinions from relevant experts and experts. Based on the research results, four main structural, economic, managerial and social factors influencing this trend were identified. Surveys showed that in the first place, economic factors were more effective than other factors in the trend of the banking towards green banking. Also, in the following categories, structural, managerial and social factors have the most influence on the trend of the country's banking network towards green banking. It is suggested that for the greater desire and tendency of the banking to implement and realize green banking, it is necessary to improve the economic components with the aim of more stabilization, inflation control, strengthening of supervisory dimensions and balance sheet reform of the banking network. Also, reforming the legal system in the supervision and support of green bankers, reforming the incentive and recruitment system, strengthening the attitude of senior bank managers and the general public to the necessity of protecting the environment, as well as reviewing the frameworks and processes of corporate governance in banks with a green perspective to encourage Iranian banking, is necessary towards green banking. In the meantime, undoubtedly the role of the central bank as the supervisory body and upstream regulatory body in reforming the general structures of the banking system and improving the management situation of the public sector of the banking network can be useful and effective in increasing the tendency of banks to establish green banking and comply with its criteria.
Research Article
Agricultural Economics
Mehdi Mahmoudi; Hosein Mohammadi; A. Karbasi
Abstract
Introduction According to United Nations reports, the world population will increase from 2.7 billion people to 9.9 billion people during the years (2016-2050) with 38% growth. With population growth, amount of demand for food consumption (in order to eliminate malnutrition and demand caused by population ...
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Introduction According to United Nations reports, the world population will increase from 2.7 billion people to 9.9 billion people during the years (2016-2050) with 38% growth. With population growth, amount of demand for food consumption (in order to eliminate malnutrition and demand caused by population growth) will increase by 150 to 170 percent by 2050. Today, one of the problems and threats facing the realization of food security in human societies is existence of an unusual amount of agricultural product waste. Every year, about one third and approximately 1.3 billion tons of total food production used by humans with a monetary value of 936 billion dollars, it is lost or wasted, which means that 0.9 million hectares and 306 square kilometers of water required for the production of agricultural products are wasted every year. The presence of this amount of waste in Iran's agricultural products indicates a significant waste of resources in country, and management of the country's resources (especially water) according to Iran's climatic situation and forecasting and drawing the future; It is telling that (resources used in agricultural sector) will soon become an important challenge. Considering that in country, 93.5% of water resources are used in agriculture, other issues such as pollution of water reserves, transfer of agricultural water to other sectors and low efficiency of water consumption in agriculture, increasing demand for water, increasing periods drought, phenomenon of fine dust, human impact on natural resources, etc. affect the amount of agricultural production.Subgroups of fruits and vegetables have the largest share in the consumption basket of households, but there are no specific statistics for recent years about share of consumption per capita of households (separated by products used) in Iran. It should be remembered that the amount of waste created by consumer’s ranges from 1 kg/household/week to 4.5 kg/person/week based on consumer's behavioral characteristics; it can be variable. Therefore, in this research, considering the importance of agricultural inputs (especially water) for the production of these agricultural products and the high percentage of share in consumption portfolio of households; Subgroups of fruits and vegetables were selected.Materials and Methods The research case study believes that in addition to consumers of Mashhad; there is heterogeneity among retail and wholesale shops as well as main market squares of city, and each can have a different percentage of waste from agricultural products. These differences can be variable based on the urban area and based on these differences; A model should be chosen that can take into account the heterogeneity of the studied society. Based on this, the multilevel Bayesian model was used as a more suitable tool, which is mentioned in following section on the modeling method of this model.Results and Discussion Based on the results in table (9), gender variable according to mean value of its parameter distribution (0.8285) is in the estimated confidence interval; It is one of the variables affecting reduction of waste of fruit and vegetable products in such a way that gender of being a woman and the management of family affairs by women (compared to men); it reduces waste. For variable of education level of consumers, waste created by fruit and vegetable products is effective only in diploma to bachelor group (compared to education level group to diploma) and according to negative sign of average distribution of its parameter (-1.4599) it shows that this category they produce more waste than people. The variable of household size has an effect on amount of waste of fruit and vegetable products (parameter distribution mean = 0.3151) and increasing dimension and size of the household has reduced waste. Also, the number of people working in the family (parameter distribution mean = 0.3733) has reduced the waste of fruit and vegetable products, and this can be because with increase in number of workers in families; level of income can change and products with better quality levels can be purchased. The variable of people's type of job has an effect on reducing the waste of fruit and vegetable products, and with improvement of quality of the job, amount of waste decreases. The relative price parameter of agricultural products (parameter distribution mean = 0.1475) reduces waste formed on agricultural products by consumers. By increasing relative price of agricultural products (e.g. fruits and vegetables) to consumer by comparing the value of that product with other goods and other products; He realizes that the consumption of that product will create the least amount of waste. Parameter of distribution location of agricultural products (parameter distribution mean = 0.1744) reduces waste formed on agricultural products by consumers. Suitable places for product distribution can give better access and power of choice to consumer, and based on this, consumer can avoid bulk purchases or worry about running out of products in nearby stores; He avoids and the amount of waste formed by him decreases. Product parameter (goods or services offered to customer) for agricultural products (parameter distribution mean = -0.1902) causes an increase in the waste formed in agricultural products by consumers. In other words, with increase in the supply of products (fruits and vegetables), consumers become more willing to buy and consume (like consuming a specific product during the supply season), and this causes increase in amount of purchases to affect the amount of waste generated. Parameter of promoting agricultural products (parameter distribution mean = 0.0683) reduces the waste formed in agricultural products by consumers. With better introduction of product and advertisements related to the production process until its consumption; consumer understands the value of the product and tries to reduce its waste.Conclusions The final results of research showed that individual and mixed marketing factors can play an effective role in reducing waste. Based on this, it can be said that in addition to importance of each link of the food supply chain; in consumer level, it is possible to contribute to reducing waste of agricultural products by using mixed marketing tools (including price, product, promotion and appropriate location of product). Therefore, consumer behavior studies are considered to be one of low-cost solutions to reduce amount of agricultural product waste according to individual-social characteristics and effective role of marketing mix.
Research Article-en
Agricultural Economics
Human Hashemzadeh; nazanin yousefian; Sasan Esfandiari; Alireza Karbasi; Ali Firoozzare
Abstract
A data mining approach to consumers’ choice of retail market: The case of municipal retail markets in IranAbstractUrban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence ...
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A data mining approach to consumers’ choice of retail market: The case of municipal retail markets in IranAbstractUrban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence in the Iranian retail sector, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior within these markets. This study examines the various socio-economic factors influencing consumers' decisions in the retail market by using the C4.5 algorithm. The data were collected using a random sampling method through a survey of 189 consumers, focusing on the population of Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020. Results reveal that awareness of available discounts significantly drives consumer choices in urban retail markets. Despite existing discounts, awareness among consumers remains low, suggesting a need to review promotional strategies within the marketing mix. The study also identifies previous purchases from urban markets, household income, and education as influential factors. Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, market strategists, and stakeholders seeking to enhance the effectiveness of local retail markets in Iran. By leveraging insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics, these markets can thrive, benefiting Iran's retail sector and overall economy. Following the study, recommendations such as enhanced promotional campaigns, education-oriented strategies, loyalty programs, collaborations with local producers, and inclusive marketing policies was made aim to improve access for all consumers to urban retail markets.Urban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence in the Iranian retail sector, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior within these markets. This study examines the various socio-economic factors influencing consumers' decisions in the retail market by using the C4.5 algorithm. The data were collected using a random sampling method through a survey of 189 consumers, focusing on the population of Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020. Results reveal that awareness of available discounts significantly drives consumer choices in urban retail markets. Despite existing discounts, awareness among consumers remains low, suggesting a need to review promotional strategies within the marketing mix. The study also identifies previous purchases from urban markets, household income, and education as influential factors. Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, market strategists, and stakeholders seeking to enhance the effectiveness of local retail markets in Iran. By leveraging insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics, these markets can thrive, benefiting Iran's retail sector and overall economy. Following the study, recommendations such as enhanced promotional campaigns, education-oriented strategies, loyalty programs, collaborations with local producers, and inclusive marketing policies was made aim to improve access for all consumers to urban retail markets.Urban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence in the Iranian retail sector, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior within these markets. This study examines the various socio-economic factors influencing consumers' decisions in the retail market by using the C4.5 algorithm. The data were collected using a random sampling method through a survey of 189 consumers, focusing on the population of Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020. Results reveal that awareness of available discounts significantly drives consumer choices in urban retail markets. Despite existing discounts, awareness among consumers remains low, suggesting a need to review promotional strategies within the marketing mix. The study also identifies previous purchases from urban markets, household income, and education as influential factors. Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, market strategists, and stakeholders seeking to enhance the effectiveness of local retail markets in Iran. By leveraging insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics, these markets can thrive, benefiting Iran's retail sector and overall economy. Following the study, recommendations such as enhanced promotional campaigns, education-oriented strategies, loyalty programs, collaborations with local producers, and inclusive marketing policies was made aim to improve access for all consumers to urban retail markets.Urban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence in the Iranian retail sector, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior within these markets. This study examines the various socio-economic factors influencing consumers' decisions in the retail market by using the C4.5 algorithm. The data were collected using a random sampling method through a survey of 189 consumers, focusing on the population of Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020. Results reveal that awareness of available discounts significantly drives consumer choices in urban retail markets. Despite existing discounts, awareness among consumers remains low, suggesting a need to review promotional strategies within the marketing mix. The study also identifies previous purchases from urban markets, household income, and education as influential factors. Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, market strategists, and stakeholders seeking to enhance the effectiveness of local retail markets in Iran. By leveraging insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics, these markets can thrive, benefiting Iran's retail sector and overall economy. Following the study, recommendations such as enhanced promotional campaigns, education-oriented strategies, loyalty programs, collaborations with local producers, and inclusive marketing policies was made aim to improve access for all consumers to urban retail markets.Urban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence in the Iranian retail sector, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior within these markets. This study examines the various socio-economic factors influencing consumers' decisions in the retail market by using the C4.5 algorithm. The data were collected using a random sampling method through a survey of 189 consumers, focusing on the population of Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020. Results reveal that awareness of available discounts significantly drives consumer choices in urban retail markets. Despite existing discounts, awareness among consumers remains low, suggesting a need to review promotional strategies within the marketing mix. The study also identifies previous purchases from urban markets, household income, and education as influential factors. Findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, market strategists, and stakeholders seeking to enhance the effectiveness of local retail markets in Iran. By leveraging insights into consumer behavior and market dynamics, these markets can thrive, benefiting Iran's retail sector and overall economy. Following the study, recommendations such as enhanced promotional campaigns, education-oriented strategies, loyalty programs, collaborations with local producers, and inclusive marketing policies was made aim to improve access for all consumers to urban retail markets.Urban retail markets are state-owned retail markets that were recently established in Iran to increase the welfare of consumers and producers. To achieve this goal and expand its presence in the Iranian retail sector, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior within these markets. This study examines the various socio-economic factors influencing consumers' decisions in the retail market by using the C4.5 algorithm. The data were collected using a random sampling method through a survey of 189 consumers, focusing on the population of Mashhad, Iran, during 2019-2020. Results reveal that awareness of available discounts significantly drives consumer
Research Article-en
Agricultural Economics
Homa Naruei; Mahmoud Ahmadpour Borazjani; Mashallah Salarpour; Alirerza Keikha; Reza Esfanjari Kenari
Abstract
Introduction The negative and destructive impact of climate change on the efficiency and productivity of agricultural inputs has been demonstrated in many regions of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. In this context, the adoption of innovative strategies to increase farmers' flexibility ...
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Introduction The negative and destructive impact of climate change on the efficiency and productivity of agricultural inputs has been demonstrated in many regions of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. In this context, the adoption of innovative strategies to increase farmers' flexibility and adaptability to climate change has increased. It is therefore important to know the impact of climate adaptation strategies on agricultural efficiency and yields. The data show that Iran is facing an increase in the frequency of droughts, an increase in temperature, an increase in erratic rainfall patterns and a decrease in groundwater resources due to climate change. As a result, Iranian farmers should adopt appropriate adaptation strategies to adapt to climate change and mitigate the effects of this phenomenon. It is therefore important to determine the impact of climate adaptation strategies together with other factors at the level of technical efficiency. The present study assessed how the implementation of climate change adaptation measures, in conjunction with the resources utilized by farmers, affects the technical efficiency of wheat producers in the Sistan area.Materials and Methods This study investigated the effects of climate change adaptation strategies, alongside input utilization and external factors outside farmers' influence, on technical efficiency using the Endogenous Modified Stochastic Frontier Model (EMSF). Data were gathered from 265 questionnaires distributed during the 2022-2023 agricultural year, employing a stratified random sampling approach among wheat farmers. The climate adaptation strategy index was formulated utilizing the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique. In this way, based on the study by Ojo and Baiyegunhi (2020), the strategies with a load greater than 0.500 were merged and a climate adaptation strategy index was formed.Results and Discussion The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that alterations in land size (0.812), the adoption of conservation tillage (0.797), and adjustments to planting dates (0.619) are the most influential factors. Conversely, the employment of rainwater harvesting (0.219) and the application of bio-fertilizers (0.327) emerged as the adaptation strategies with the least factor loading among the farmers. Therefore, the most important of the first three strategies have been used to generate the adaptive index. The results of the study indicate that endogeneity within the model is statistically significant. This problem is likely to be due to latent variables, including production methods and risk management tactics that influence the agricultural decision-making process regarding climate change adaptation measures. Consequently, it is imperative to account for endogeneity to ensure the reliability of efficiency parameter estimates, as neglecting it would lead to unreliable results. The average technical efficiency obtained from the estimated model was calculated to be 82%. The results also showed that there is a large difference between the most and least efficient wheat farmers in the Sistan region. This difference shows that this performance gap can be reduced without changing the level of technology and inputs used. In other words, there is a high potential to increase production by improving management. The model's estimations indicate that labor, chemical pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation, and machinery all have a statistically significant and positive impact on wheat production efficiency. Furthermore, the adoption of climate adaptation strategies by farmers has been shown to decrease technical inefficiency. Additionally, factors such as the farmers' level of education, years of farming experience, access to climate data, and availability of credit contribute to the reduction of technical inefficiency. As a result, climate adaptation strategies are critical in explaining shifts in inefficiency. This implies that smallholder farmers who adopt climate change adaptation strategies experience improved yields and technical efficiency. Therefore, this study shows that wheat production in Sistan can be significantly advanced with substantial inputs and technology, provided that smallholder farmers are supported to implement climate adaptation strategies. This finding is consistent with the results of the studies by Khanal et al. (2018), Anser et al. (2020) and Ojo and Baiyegunhi (2020).Conclusions According to the results obtained, it can be said that implementing climate-resilient strategies significantly enhances the technical efficiency of small-scale farmers in the Sistan region. This research suggests that improving the technical efficiency of farming can be achieved by raising the educational standards of farmers through targeted agricultural programs, adult education opportunities and the provision of timely financial credit. Similarly, technical efficiency can be improved by ensuring that farmers have access to accurate weather forecasts for the coming season. It is also important to foster community engagement among farmers by creating collective groups that facilitate meaningful interaction with peers. Educating farmers about the inefficient use of agricultural inputs can lead to increased efficiency through the judicious use of resources. Furthermore, equipping farmers with knowledge about local climate change and appropriate adaptive responses is crucial for government agencies, stakeholders and relevant organizations. It is therefore imperative to actively involve farmers in strategic planning for the adoption of climate-friendly practices.
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