The main purpose of the study was to determine the factors affecting the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) as a clean technology in the rice-cropping systems of Iran. The research framework was developed based on the rational choice model and the factors influencing IPM adoption behaviour were explored. A survey with a sample of 148 operators selected by stratified sampling was undertaken in two provinces: Mazandaran and Gilan. Stepwise regression analysis and path analysis were used to determine the influence of exogenous factors, farm and farmer characteristics, and the characteristics of innovations upon the adoption of IPM. Analyses revealed that IPM adoption behaviours were influenced by external factors as well as the gender, knowledge, and experience level of farmers; soil quality; access to information; mechanization level; and the feasibility of technologies. Finally, consideration of these variables as determinant factors in a ‘targeted policy approach’ is recommended to increase the sustainable use and widespread adoption of clean technologies for cleaner production.

Identifying and understanding the heterogeneity of the motivations and problems of farmers is critical for designing better strategies as societies strive to convert towards agricultural approaches such as organic farming and sustainable intensification. The objective of this research is to explore the motivations and problems for conversion to organic farming in Iran. Survey data of Iranian organic producers were collected during the first half of 2015. These data were used to find the statistical determinants of motivations and problems for organic production. Results suggest that economic motivations, health, safety concerns and environmental issues are the predominant motives for conversion, while social and ethical motives are of lesser importance. Problems experienced during conversion relate to marketing, agronomic issues, lack of governmental and institutional support, negative pressure from other farmers and farm groups, and lack of physical and financial capital. To prosper, the Iranian organic sector must overcome fundamental economic problems and challenges. Some of the strategies recommended include the development and scaling up of sustainable intensification, strategies that encourage farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives, and sustainable procurement.

In this study, a cross-cultural analysis was undertaken to compare the knowledge of organic producers and agricultural experts in Iran concerning the concepts of good farming, good farmer, and organic farming in the field of sustainable agriculture. We put concepts of good farming, good farmer, and organic farming in conversation with Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital, identity, and the dynamics of the ‘rules of the game’ to determine the knowledge gaps between experts and farmers in the sustainable agricultural field. Data are derived from interviews with 45 organic producers and 52 agricultural experts. The findings showed that farmers had knowledge of the key concepts discussed by experts but differed in the emphasis placed on these ideas. Results reveal tensions between how farmers and experts think about and understand how farmers ought to practice organic farming. The paper concludes with some arguments on the knowledge asymmetries and offers a few participatory approaches for negotiation to overcome the asymmetry in supporting more sustainable management practices.

This study assessed the resilience of pistachio production systems in the Rafsanjan plain in Iran using an index of behavior-based indicators. One-hundred fifty pistachio orchards located in five major production areas were studied in 2016. The data was subjected to three-step multi-criteria analysis, including (i) normalization and aggregation; (ii) determination of the weights representing the priorities for each criterion and evaluation of the performance of each indicator; and (iii) comparison. The results showed that the study areas had problematic statuses regarding the indicators of membership in grassroots organizations, innate abilities, water sources, production stability, and insurance. They had critical or moderate statuses concerning the indicators of use of organic fertilizers, use of pesticides, soil fertility index, water-use efficiency (kg/m³), trust in government, access to advisor services (extension), on-the-job training, and diversity of marketing. They had positive levels for the indicators of productivity, diversity of cultivars, diversity of on-farm practices, and exchange of information. We recommend the enhancement of the transformability capacity in PPSs by changing the focus from optimal states and the determinants of maximum sustainable yield (MSY paradigm) to adaptive resource management that includes developing participatory platforms for collaboration of usage of water resources.