Analysis of Unauthorized Change of Agricultural Land-use in East Azarbaijan province, Based on Driving Force-Actor-Land Change (DF-A-C) Model

Ghasemi, Nadereh; Raheli, Hossein; Kazemiyeh, Fatemeh; Koohestani, Hossein

doi:10.22034/gahr.2025.470436.2436

Analysis of Unauthorized Change of Agricultural Land-use in East Azarbaijan province, Based on Driving Force-Actor-Land Change (DF-A-C) Model

Document Type : thesis

Authors

nadereh ghasemi ¹

hossein raheli ²

Fatemeh Kazemiyeh ³

hossein koohestani ⁴

¹ Ph.D. of Agricultural Development, Dept. of Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Iran.

² Professor in the Department of Rural Extension and Development at the University of Tabriz, Tabriz,Iran

³ Associate Professor, Department of Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

⁴ Associate Professor in the Department of Rural Extension and Development at the University of Tabriz, Tabriz,Iran

10.22034/gahr.2025.470436.2436

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the phenomenon of unauthorized agricultural land-use change (outside the city, towns and villages involving the Hadi Plan) in East Azarbaijan province, Iran.The present study was based on the Driving Force-Actor-Land Change (DF-A-C) Model. Qualitative content analysis was performed to conduct the research. The participants of thestudyconsisted of activists in the agricultural sector and managers and experts at the Agricultural Jihad Organization. Using snowball sampling method, 20 of them were selected for the interview.Fifteen actors were found to directly and indirectly affect the preservation of agricultural land-use in East Azerbaijan province. Apart from the Agricultural Jihad Organization, 13 other relevant organizations or institutions and 4 regulatory organizations were involved in this issue. Also, 104 driving forces were found to have effect on the unauthorized agricultural land-use change in the province, and were classified into 24 groups. in this regard, the following driving forces accounted for the highest frequency, respectively: "Pressure and influence of influential and rent-seeking people", "Lack of manpower in LandAffairsManagement", "Greed of intermediaries and profiteers", "Absence of a comprehensive program to preserve agricultural land-use" and "Low income for agricultural activities". Considering the fact that out of 104 driving forces, 48 driving forces affected the decision-making and behavior of agricultural land owners, farmers,land-usechanging individuals, and institutions, and that 124 driving forces affect Jihad Agricultural Organization, relevant organizations,institutions, and regulatory organizations; it is suggested that planners and officials in charge of agricultural land conservation pay special attention to this issue.

Keywords

Agricultural lands

Iran

East Azarbaijan province

unauthorized land-use change

Driving Force-Actor-Land Change (DF-A-C) Model

Subjects

natural geography

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