A Viewpoint toward Agriculture and Rural Development Plans in Iran: Challenges, Opportunities, and Approaches

Abstract

Most poor people presently reside in rural areas. The rural poor is exposed to many risks while often lacking instruments to manage them adequately, and so are highly vulnerable. Nowadays, sustainable rural development is a pillar and focal point in most discussions for betterment of conditions especially in developing countries such as Iran. After Islamic revolution of 1978, rural development has been gotten very more attention in comparison to the previous government namely Shah. However, because of many causes such as 8 years war between Iran and Iraq during 1980–1988 and international sanctions against Iran in four previous decades, and also absence of a holistic and systematic view in rural development programs in Iran, many of these plans did not acquire pre-determined goals and objectives in comparing to budget that consumed for them and immigration rate from rural to urban regions did not decrease. In this article, state a brief and comprehensive discussion about plans, challenges, and opportunities of rural development projects in Iran with emphasizing on effectiveness of these experiences and affairs in one of the most disadvantaged regions in Iran namely South-Khorasan Province in desert region in east of Iran plus Isfahan province in center of Iran. Results of this study indicate relative successful of these rural development programs in maintaining people in their villages and providing jobs and other facilities for continuing their livings despite near three decades strong drought in these disadvantaged regions. Even though in future policy makers and program planers must consider more holistic, systematic and scientific patterns in their affairs in these domains.