Strategic Analysis of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Development with Focus on the Exploitation of Esfand (Peganum Harmala) in the Rangelands of Natanz County

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

2 Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim of prioritizing sustainable entrepreneurship development strategies within the framework of utilizing Peganum harmala in Natanz County. The research method was descriptive–analytical and was carried out using field data. To collect the required information, tools such as questionnaires and interviews were used with 55 experts from the Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Jihad, farmers, and local entrepreneurs who were selected through the census method. In this regard, through field studies, questionnaires, and specialized interviews with these individuals, the key criteria for selecting sustainable employment strategies, including technical feasibility, economic justification, social acceptance, environmental sustainability, development outlook, and impacts on natural resources, were identified and evaluated. Furthermore, the PROMETHEE multi-criteria decision-making method was used to prioritize the strategies. The main innovation of this study lies in the application of the PROMETHEE method for prioritizing the indicators, as well as the use of Peganum harmala as a native component that has received limited attention in the related literature. The findings showed that Peganum harmala, due to its compatibility with the climatic conditions of the region, its potential domestic and international markets, and its high processing capacity, has considerable potential to become a core driver of entrepreneurship. In the final analysis, four key strategies, including establishing sales markets, developing processing industries, launching distribution companies, and branding Peganum harmala, were evaluated. The strategies of “establishing sales markets,” “developing processing industries,” and “launching distribution companies” ranked first to third, respectively. This study can provide a practical model for sustainable agricultural development and entrepreneurship development in similar regions.

Keywords

References

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