Capacity of rural-urban interactions and structural empowerment of farmers toward rural economy sustainability (Case Study: Semirom county)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran

Abstract

Introduction
The capacity of rural-urban interactions is one of the fundamental pillars of a sustainable rural economy, which neglecting it in the economic development policy and planning system of less developed countries such as Iran has led to the expansion of other economic activities, little access to economic resources, facilities and infrastructures, which the economic stability of its villages has faced serious challenges. In this research, the county of Semirom has been studied in order to evaluate the effect of the size of rural-urban flows on the structural empowerment of farmers and the sustainability indicators of the rural economy.
 
Materials and Methods.
This research has been done by descriptive-analytical and survey method and using library and field tools. Data collection was done with a questionnaire, the statistical population is the villages of Semirom county. According to the number of farmers in 30 villages (2341), the sample size was equal to 314 people, which was obtained through Cochran's formula. The items were rated using a five-point Likert scale. To measure the independent variable of the capacity of rural-urban interactions, the number of 26 items. Different dimensions of farmers' structural empowerment were evaluated as mediator variables through 18 items and 23 items were evaluated to measure rural economy sustainability indicators (dependent variable). Analyzes were done through SPSS and AMOS software. The direct and indirect effects of the variables were determined using the structural equation model (SEM).
Results and Discussion
The results showed that by comparing the total effect of each factor increasing the flow of money and capital to the villages, it had the greatest effect in relation to the effect of rural-urban interactions on the structural empowerment of farmers.
This issue is due to the use of the capital flow transfer from the cities and the cash they send from the cities to the villages, especially the rural people working in the cities, which can stimulate the development of the rural economy. In this regard, the index of opportunity (education and awareness) has the highest level of influence in improving the capabilities of rural farmers, and in relation to the impact of rural-urban interactions on the stability of the rural economy, the indicator of increasing investment has the highest level of influence.
 
Conclusion
However, increasing the size of rural-urban spatial flows (the capacity of rural-urban interactions) has a positive effect on the stability of the rural economy, which itself is a function of improving the structural empowerment of farmers. However, endogenous factors influencing the size of rural-urban flows as inherent obstacles in improving the structural empowerment indicators of villagers are still significant. Therefore, in order to promote the sustainability of the rural economy in the study area, on the one hand, it is necessary to increase the financial flows and investment affected by the rural-urban interaction in different sectors of the rural economy, especially in the scope of diversification of activities, and on the other hand, education and awareness. The continuous participation of farmers and their access to material resources should be given special attention as the most important factors in improving the sustainability of the rural economy. The research findings indicate that, among the structural empowerment indicators of farmers influenced by rural-urban interactions, the 'opportunity' index (education and awareness) and 'access' index (access to material resources) have the highest impact on enhancing farmers' capabilities. Moreover, the 'investment' index has the most significant effect on the sustainability of the rural economy. In this regard, increased interactions between farmers and urban experts, along with the education acquired through these interactions, have strengthened farmers' ties to international markets, consequently boosting export-oriented production. Apple production in Semirom County can serve as a capacity for establishing new economic institutions within rural areas. Additionally, urban investors who have migrated to rural areas, bringing with them market knowledge from urban centers, have improved farmers' skills in connecting to primary markets and relevant marketplaces. Positive interactions between the city and rural areas can enhance farmers' access to inputs and services, support businesses, mitigate the effects of a single-crop economy reliant on apple cultivation, utilize the region's natural capabilities, and increase investments in activities complementary to agriculture, thereby strengthening the economic indicators of settlements. Furthermore, the increased production of apples in the villages of Semirom County has strengthened the reciprocal connections between villages beyond the county and with other major cities in the region and the country. Therefore, examining the explicit and implicit capacities influenced by the magnitude of rural-urban flows, which contribute to strengthening the components of farmer empowerment, is deemed necessary. Future studies should focus on investigating the impacts of the capacity of rural-urban interactions on improving components such as organization-building, institutionalization, and information technology, adopting a comprehensive approach.a

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Main Subjects

References

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