Mohammad Sadegh Sabouri’s research while affiliated with Islamic Azad University of Garmsar and other places

To advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it's essential to implement practices that improve the livelihoods sustainability. Achieving this goal requires identifying Factors affecting the livelihood sustainability of smallholder farmers (LSOSF). For this purpose, this study, conducted during 2023–2024. A statistical sample of 500 smallholders from Alborz, Guilan, Hormozgan, and Yazd provinces in Iran was selected using a multistage sampling method. The survey indicated an average farming unit had three able-bodied household members aged between 18 and 65, with none engaged in formal education. The head of household had an average of 10.53 years of formal education, ranging from 2 to 18 years. Household health status revealed an average of 1.69 healthy family members per unit. Annual savings for the farmers were approximately 100 million rials, about one-fifth of their total annual income. Regarding social networks, 55% of respondents had moderate to low confidence in assistance from neighbors and relatives during hardship. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine factors influencing LSOSF. Results indicated technical, economic, social, and environmental factors had positive and significant impacts on LSOSF. Among technical factors, agricultural land quality, land use conservation, land aggregation, and cropping patterns were identified as the most influential, with land use conservation having the greatest impact. Key factors such as soil erosion prevention, mitigation of land subsidence from groundwater extraction, and development of agricultural processing industries are crucial for LSOSF. This study provides a foundation for developing strategies to enhance smallholder farmers' livelihoods and well-being.

The purpose of the research was to designing an agricultural extension education model to support household food security in Khouzestan province, Iran. To achieve the purpose of the research, a mixed quantitative and qualitative research method was used. The statistical sample in the qualitative stage, which determined by theoretical saturation of the data, was 30 key informants and agricultural extension experts of Khuzestan province. The statistical sample of the quantitative part was determined based on Cochran’s formula of 110 extension experts. Grounded theory method was used for data analysis in the qualitative stage and structural equation model was used in the quantitative stage. Based on the ground theory method, causal conditions, axial phenomenon, intervening conditions, contextual conditions, strategies and consequences, were identified, and a paradigm model was developed. Then, based on the structural equation model method, the SEM model was formulated and validated. Based on the results, 69% of the changes in Agricultural Extension Education to Household Food Security (AEE to HFS) were explained by the independent variables of causal conditions, contextual conditions and intervening conditions. The most important policy implications of this study are to provide appropriate content, structure, framework, and strategies for planners and policymakers of the agricultural extension sector of Khuzestan province in the field of household food security.

The purpose of this research is identifying and prioritize the challenges of sustainable food security in Iran. This research has been conducted from June 2022 to April 2023 to provide a comprehensive, and applied model to understand the challenges through Grounded Theory (GT) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Khouzestan province, Iran. This research is an applied type of research. The data were collected by performing focus group and brain storming techniques with the 35 agricultural experts in this field. Data analysis was done by using MAXQDA 12 software in three steps: open, axial and selective coding. The results of this study by GT identified 34 initial codes and seven main following challenges were categorized and by AHP prioritized: low production efficiency and lack of attention to extension of the favorable consumption pattern, lack of facility support and empowerment for the development of agricultural products, failure to monitor production diversity and proper cultivation pattern, little attention to the criteria of sustainable agricultural development in production, lack of attention to the development of transformation and complementary industries and the production of healthy products with a knowledge-based approach, unfavorable economic conditions for access and continued consumption of healthy food and lack of necessary export platforms and lack of monitoring of illegal imports. Finally applied recommendations were presented to reduce the existing challenges.

Dust storms are among the major environmental problems. Most governments have failed to manage this recurring phenomenon. The present study investigated the farmers’ resilience to dust storms and the factors reducing their vulnerability to these catastrophic events. To this end, a mixed-methods research approach, including grounded theory and survey research, was performed. Qualitative findings were analyzed using Atlas. ti 9 software and the factors affecting farmers’ resilience and vulnerability to dust were identified through the application of SmartPLS3 software. Qualitative findings disclosed that agricultural education and extension services, financial supports, and health care, political, and legal supports can enhance the resilience of farmers to dust storms. However, among the five dimensions of resilience to dust storms, including access to basic services, adaptive capacity, assets, social safety nets, and stability, assets and access to basic services were among the major indicators of resilience. Additionally, health care, political, and legal supports, agricultural education and extension services, and financial supports were the main determinants of resilience to dust storms. Furthermore, quantitative analysis revealed low, medium, and high vulnerabilities to dust storms. Assets and access to basic services were the major drivers of farmers’ vulnerability to dust storms. Providing institutional, educational, financial, and health care supports can enhance farmers’ resilience to dust storms. Also, poverty alleviation and capacity-building policies can empower vulnerable groups and reduce their reliance on climate-sensitive income resources.

Brands are among the most valuable assets of agricultural businesses. Geographical branding can play a fundamental role in national and international markets by creating a competitive identity. On the other hand, orchard owners in a certain geographical region can understand the status of a product’s supply chain. Nonetheless, few studies have focused on how branding can influence the status of a product’s supply chain. Thus, the present study aimed to analyze the effect of geographical branding on improving the apple supply chain. The research is an applied study in terms of the goal, conducted by the survey methodology. Data were collected by distributing 360 questionnaires among apple orchard owners in Damavand County sampled by simple randomization. Cochran’s formula estimated the sample size. The research instrument was a research-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. According to the results, special brand value, brand loyalty, brand image, brand attitude, brand experience, brand purchasing intention, and brand identity were the components found to improve the efficiency of the Apple supply chain significantly.

Word count: 203 The research aimed to identify the challenges of developing and implementing a climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based curriculum in Iran's agricultural vocational schools. It was exploratory descriptive-analytical in nature and applied in goal, in which data were collected with the library and deep interview method. The research methodology was based on grounded theory. The statistical population was composed of 16 researchers, authors, managers, and experts of the Office of Textbook Compilation of the Organization for Educational Research and Planning and the Research Center of Educational Studies. The participants were selected by the homogenous purposive sampling method. The interview with the target population continued until it reached theoretical saturation. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The data collected in the interviews were subjected to open, axial, and selective coding, which resulted in deriving 119 concepts and 28 categories. The results revealed a seven-dimension structure composed of the challenges related to determining educational goals, trainees, trainers' professional process, teaching methods, curriculum content selection and organization, curriculum implementation, and curriculum appraisal. The results can help the experts in the Office of Textbook Compilation experts adopt smarter policies and solutions to solve the challenges of developing and implementing a CSA-based curriculum in agricultural vocational schools in Iran.

Dust storms (DSs) are among the major environmental problems. Deprived of coherent and scientifically acceptable policies, most governments have failed to manage effectively this recurring phenomenon. Currently, many organizations aim to enhance the resilience of communities and manage hazards such as dust through educational measures. The present study investigated the farmers’ resilience and the factors reducing their vulnerability to DS events. To this end, a mixed-methods research approach was employed. This approach includes applying the Grounded Theory and Survey methods in the qualitative and quantitative phases. Qualitative findings were analyzed using Atlas. ti 9 software and the factors affecting farmers’ resilience to dust were extracted at the end of the qualitative phase. Meanwhile, the model of the factors affecting the increased level of resilience and the effect of resilience in reducing the vulnerability of farmers to dust were extracted in the quantitative phase. The model was designed and validated using structural equation modeling (SEM) through the partial least squares (PLS) method in the SmartPLS3 software. The findings of the qualitative phase demonstrated that the factors affecting farmers’ resilience to dust include economic, education extension, and support factors. In the quantitative phase, modeling results revealed that assets and access to basic services (ABS) were among the important dimensions of resilience. Furthermore, educational and extension factors had a significant positive effect on increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability.

Droughts, floods, and dust storms have increased the vulnerability of farm families in developing countries. Well-timed and effective interventions could reduce vulnerability to natural hazards. However, the adoption of adaptive strategies is significantly influenced by the farmers' viewpoints about the causes and effects of natural hazards and their perceived capacity to deal with these crises. This study employed the Q methodology to investigate farmers' viewpoints on vulnerability and adaptation to natural hazards in the Sistan Plain, Iran. The Q-sort procedure was conducted with the participation of 29 farmers, and the qmethod package in R software was used to analyze the Q-factor. The results revealed four types of perceptions regarding vulnerability and adaptation to natural hazards: passive-oriented, pragmatic activists, consequentialists, and change-averse. Different viewpoints demonstrate that farmers have divergent opinions regarding vulnerability and adaptation to natural hazards. Identifying these viewpoints can provide useful information for policymaking and the scaling up of specific adaptive strategies for each group, which can eventually enhance farmers’ resilience to natural disasters.