Designing a Process Model for Conservative Agriculture Development in Iran: Using Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD. Student, Agricultural Development, Department of Rural Extension and Development, Faculty of Agriculture , University of Tabriz

2 Associate Professor, Agricultural Development, Department of Rural Extension and Development, Faculty of Agriculture , University of Tabriz

3 Assistant Professor, Agricultural Development, Department of Rural Extension and Development, Faculty of Agriculture , University of Tabriz

4 Associate Professor, Agricultural Extension and Education, Agricultural Faculty, Bu Ali Sina University

Abstract

Conservative agriculture (CA) development is a new paradigm to achieve sustainable agricultural production, needs process model to explain the development phases step by setp. The aim of this study was to design a process model for CA development in Iran by using interpretive structural modeling. The statistical population of the study was the members of technical committees and research institutes and extension and education of conservation agriculture in nine leader provinces in conservative agriculture. 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with CA experts. The main steps of CA development were identified by using content analysis with the help of ATLAS.ti software. Then, the interrelationships among the identified steps have been investigated by using the interpretive structural modeling technique and a process model of steps to CA development at national and local level. The analysis revealed that CA development process at national level should start with the analysis of current CA situation, and end with mobilizing and allocating of resources and budget and designing of institutional structure. Process model at the national level creats an appropriate institutional and policy environment to manage CA development at the local level to achieve the ultimate goal of the wide scale adoption and dissemination of CA technology.

Keywords

References

  1. Abrol, I.P. & Sangar, S. (2006). Sustaining Indian agriculture – conservation agriculture the way forward. Current Science, 91(8), 1020-1025.
  2. Agarwal, A., Shankar, R. & Tiwari, M. K. (2007). Modeling agility of supply chain. Industrial Marketing Management, 36, 443-457.
  3. Aghazadeh, M. R., Asgari, T., Shahi, A. & Farahmand, A. (2016). Designing strategy formulation processing model of governmental organizations based on network governance. Journal of Government Agencies Management, 4(1), 27 -56. (In Farsi)
  4. Ahuja, V., Yang, J. & Shankar, R. (2009). Benefits of collaborative ICT adoption for building project management. Construction Innovation, 9(3), 323-340.
  5. Ansari, M.F., Kharb, R.K., Luthra, S., Shimmi, S., Chatterji, S. (2013). Analysis of barriers to implement solar power installations in India using interpretive structural modeling technique. Renewable Sustainable Energy Reviews, 27, 163–174.
  6. Bellotti, B. & Rochecouste, J.F. (2014). The development of conservation agriculture in Australia-farmers as innovators. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2(1), 21-34.
  7. Bhan, S. & Behera, U.K. (2014). Conservation agriculture in India – problems, prospects and policy issues. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2(4), 1-12.
  8. Bolliger, A., Magid, J., Carneiro Amado, T.J., Skora Neto, F., Santos Ribeiro, M.F., Calegari, A., Ralisch, R., Neergaard, A. (2006). Taking stock of the Brazilian zerotill revolution: a review of landmark research and farmers’ practice. Advances in Agronomy, 91, 48-110.
  9. Brouder, S. M. & Helena Gomez-Macpherson, H. (2014). The impact of conservation agriculture on smallholder agriculturalyields: A scoping review of the evidence. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 187, 11-32.

10. Carmona, I., Griffith, D. M., Soriano, M. A., Manuel Murillo, J., Madejón, E., & Gómez-Macpherson, H. (2015). What do farmers mean when they say they practice conservation agriculture? A comprehensive case study from southern Spain. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 213, 164–177.

11. Charan, P., Shankar, R. & Baisya, R.K. (2008). Analysis of interactions among the variables of supply chain performance measurement system implementation. Business Process Management Journal, 14(4), 512-529.

12. Corbeelsa, M.,  Graaffb, J., Hycenth Ndahc, T., Penota, E., Baudrond, F., Naudina, K.,  Andrieua, N., Chirata, G., Schulerc, J., Nyagumboe, I., Rusinamhodzib, L., Traoref, K., Dulla Mzobag, H. & Solomon Adolwa, I. (2014). Understanding the impact and adoption of conservation agriculture in Africa: A multi-scale analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 187, 155-170.

13. Dalvi-Esfahani, M., Ramayah, T. & Nilashi, M. (2017). Modelling upper echelons’ behavioural drivers of Green IT/IS adoption using an integrated Interpretive Structural Modelling- Analytic Network Process approach. Telematics and Informatics, 34, 583–603.

14. Diabat, A. & Govindan, K. (2011). An analysis of the drivers affecting the implementation of green supply chain management. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 55, 659 - 667.

15. Eivazi, M. R., Barati, N., Poorahmad, A. & keshavarz Turk, E. (2015). Designing Culturised planning system in Iranian Urban Development System with Futures Studies Approach. Journal of Studies on Iranian Islamic City, (5)20, 5 -15. (In Farsi)

16. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) (2013). Basic Principles of Conservation Agriculture. In: http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/1a.html (accessed 10.14).

17. Friedrich, T., Derpsch, R. & Kassam, A.H. (2012). Global overview of the spread of conservation agriculture. Field Actions Science Reports, 6, 1-7.

18. Friedrich, T., Kassam, A.H. & Taher, F. (2009). Adoption of conservation agriculture and the role of policy and institutional support. International consultation on no-till with soil cover and crop rotation, Shortandy, Kazakhstan. 1-38.

19. Friedrich, T., Kienzle, J. & Kassam, A. (2009a). Conservation agriculture in developing countries: the role of mechnanization. Report Prepared for the XXth Members’ Meeting of the Club of Bologna, 8 November 2009, Hannover, Germany.

20. Harrington, L. & Erenstein, O. (2005). Conservation agriculture and resource conserving technologies - A global perspective. Agromeridian, 1, 32-43.

21. Hobbs, P.R. (2007). Conservation agriculture: what is it and why is it important for future sustainable food production? Journal of agricultural science, 145,127-137.

22. Kahimba, F. C., Mutabazi, K. D., Donald Tumbo, S., Kenneth Francis Masuki, K. F. & Mbungu, W. B. (2014). Adoption and Scaling-Up of Conservation Agriculture in Tanzania: Case of Arusha and Dodoma Regions. Natural Resources, 5, 161-176.

23. Kassam, A.H., Derpsch, R. & Friedrich, T. (2014). Global achievements in soil and water conservation: The case of conservation agriculture. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2(1), 5-13.

24. Kassam, A.H., Friedrich, T., Shaxson, T.F. & Pretty, J.N. (2009). The spread of conservation agriculture: justification, sustainability and uptake. International Journal ofAgriculture Sustainability, 7, 292-320.

25. Ling, L.I., Gao-bao, H., Ren-zhi, Z., Bellotti, B., Li, G. & Kwong Yin Chan, K. (2011). Benefits of conservation agriculture on soil and water conservation and its progress in China. Agricultural Sciences in China, 10(6), 850-859.

26. Luthra, S., Kumar, S., Kharb, R., Ansari, Md. F. & Shimmi, S.L. (2014). Adoption of smart grid technologies: An analysis of interactions among barriers. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 3, 554-565.

27. Lybbert, T.J. & Sumner, D.A. (2012). Agricultural technologies for climate change in developing countries: Policy options for innovation and technology diffusion. Food Policy, 37, 114-123.

28. Naeiji, M. J. (2015). Designing software product development process model by using interpretive structural modeling approach. Journal of Industrial Management Perspective, 17, 99-118. (In Farsi)

29. Nasehifar, V., Arazmjoo, H. & Taghavifard, M. T. (2015). Integrated Model of Organizational Change: A Survey of Content, Process and Contextual Dimensions as Factors of Successful Organizational Change. Journal of Management and Development Process, 86, 49-71. (In Farsi)

30. Pfohl, H.C., Gallus, Ph. & Thomas. D. (2011). Interpretive structural modeling of supply chain risks. International Journal of PhysicalDistribution & Logistics Management, 41(9), 839-859.

31. Pretty, J. (2008). Agricultural sustainability: Concepts, principles and evidence. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 363(1491), 447-465.

32. Rai, M., Reeves, T., Collette, L. & Allara, M. (2011). Save and grow: A policymaker's guide to sustainable intensification of smallholder crop production. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.

33. Raina, R.S., Sulaiman, V. R., Hall, A.J. & Sangar, S. (2005). Policy and institutional requirements for transition to conservation agriculture: An innovation systems perspective. Centre for advancement of sustainable agriculture, New Delhi, India.

34. Saei Ahan, J., Ghaisipour, H. & Mohammadi Assadi, N. (2009). The master plan of conservation agriculture. Tehran: Plant Production Department of the Ministry of Agriculture. (In Farsi)

35. Shen, L., Song, X., Wu, Y., Liao, Sh. & Zhang, X. (2016). Interpretive Structural Modeling based factor analysis on the implementation of Emission Trading System in the Chinese building sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 127, 214-227.

36. Singh, M.D., Shankar, R.N. & Agarwal, A. (2003). An interpretive structural modeling of knowledge management in engineering industries. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 1(1), 28-40.

37. Soti, A., Goel, R.K., Shankar, R. & Kaushal, O.P. (2010). Modeling the enablers of six sigma using interpreting structural modeling. Journal ofModeling in Management, 5(2), 124-141.

38. Sumberg, J. (2005). Constraints to the adoption of agricultural innovations. Is it timefor a re-think? Outlook on Agriculture, 34(1), 7-10.

39. Thiombiano, l. & Meshack, M. (2009). Scaling-up Conservation Agriculture in Africa: Strategy and Approaches. Addis Ababa: The FAO Subregional Office for Eastern Africa.

40. Warfield, J.N. (1976). Societal systems: Planning, policy, and complexity. Wiley Interscience, New York, USA.

Warfield, J.W. (1974). Developing interconnected matrices in structural modelling, IEEE transcript on systems. Men and Cybernetics, 4(1), 51-81.

Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 49, Issue 1
February 2018
Pages 105-120

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics