Economic Development and Rural Employment Generation Program in North Khorasan Province (Case Study: Azari Rural District, Esfarayen County)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hoseein Ghodrati

Masoud Samian

Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran.

10.22067/jrrp.v15i2.2606-1166

Abstract

Purpose- This study was conducted with the aim of developing a structured and practical program for economic development and employment generation in the rural areas of Azari Rural District, located in Esfarayen County, North Khorasan Province.
Design/methodology/approach- The present study adopted a mixed-methods approach (quantitative–qualitative). Parts of the research were based on the positivist paradigm and employed quantitative methods relying on numerical and statistical data. Demographic analyses and statistical data collected in the fields of economics, water resources, agriculture, and social dimensions represent this approach. In addition, considering that the primary and ultimate objective of this study was to formulate an economic development and employment generation program for the 23 villages of Azari Rural District in the Central District of Esfarayen County, a qualitative approach was also employed using open-ended and face-to-face interviews. The statistical population consisted of all 23 villages of Azari Rural District in the Central District of Esfarayen County, and the study was conducted using a census method.
Finding- Based on the collected data, agricultural value chains particularly in livestock farming and animal husbandry, as well as the honey production value chain were identified as having the greatest impact on the local economy, livelihoods, and rural employment generation in the study area. Supply chains, or value-creation systems for regional products, constitute interconnected networks of processes designed to provide goods and services. These systems encompass suppliers, producers, distributors, and sellers who collaborate in an integrated manner to enhance customer satisfaction. In essence, supply chain management establishes coordination among production, inventory, location allocation, and transportation processes among stakeholders involved in a product in order to achieve the optimal balance between responsiveness and efficiency for market success. Based on this framework, the supply chain or value-creation process for rural products can be analyzed at three levels. The first level comprises the production links themselves, including required inputs, input provision, production, processing, and marketing. The second level includes the actors and stakeholders involved in the chain, such as governmental institutions, private organizations and enterprises, farmers and local industrial actors, groups of elites and entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and other public organizations. The third level examines the activities carried out within each production link by these stakeholders.

Keywords

Rural Economic Development

Employment Generation

Value Chain Analysis

Agricultural Development

Mixed-Methods Research

North Khorasan Province

Subjects

• Rural Studies

---

References

1. Aiginger, K., & Rodrik, D. (2020). Rebirth of Industrial Policy and an Agenda for the Twenty-First Century. Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, 20(2), 189–207. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s10842-019-00322-3
2. Alawode, A. (2025). The role of agricultural value chains in enhancing food security and economic development. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science, 7(5). https://doi.org/10.56726/IRJMETS75996
3. Ayyagari, M., Juarros, P., Peria, M. S. M., & Singh, S. (2021). Access to finance and job growth: Firm-level evidence across developing countries. Review of Finance, 25(5), 1473–1496. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1093/rof/rfab003
4. Bahrami, R. (2023). Identifying the key components of job creation in rural communities with emphasis on workshop and manual industries in the rural areas of Sanandaj county. Journal of Research & Rural Planning, 12(3), 77-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.22067/jrrp.v12i3.2307-1052.
5. Barkhordari, R., Dehghan Dehnavi, H., & Morovati Sharifabadi, A. (2022). Identifying and analyzing factors affecting the excellence and success of small and medium industries using the system dynamics approach. International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis and Applications. https://Doi.10.22075/ijnaa.2022.28494.3909
6. Behnia, M., Pourmohammadi, M., & Azizkhani, F. (2021). Iranian labor market policies and regulations. Majlis Research Center.
7. Bernanke, B. S. (2020). The new tools of monetary policy: American Economic Association presidential address. American Economic Review, 110(4), 943–983. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.110.4.943
8. Bosworth, G., & Turner, R. (2018). Interrogating the meaning of a rural business through a rural capitals framework. Journal of Rural Studies, 60, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.02.002
9. Chukwunweike, J., Dolapo Salaudeen, H. (2025). Advanced Computational Methods for Optimizing Mechanical Systems in Modern Engineering Management Practices. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews. 2025 Mar;6(3):8533-8548. Available from: https://ijrpr.com/uploads/V6ISSUE3/IJRPR40901.pdf
10. Farajnia, S., Yousefi, K., & Fadaee, M. (2020). Modeling the unemployment rate of Iran: Structural unemployment, sectoral changes and unanticipated monetary policy. Economic Research, Retrieved from https://joer.atu.ac.ir/article_12365_en.html
11. Granja, J., Makridis, C., Yannelis, C., & Zwick, E. (2022). Did the paycheck protection program hit the target? Journal of Financial Economics, 119(4), 361–416. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304405X22001131
12. Hamermesh, D. S. (2021). Labor demand. In Labor Demand. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv17ppcqn
13. Harpaa, E., Mocaa, S., & Rus, D. (2016). A Comparative Study of Rural Entrepreneurship Romania – Greece. Procedia Technology, 22, 1100-1105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protcy.2016.01.155.
14. Ma, W., Zheng, H., Boansi, D., Horlu, G., & Owusu, V. (2025). Types of employment and well-being of rural residents: A multinomial endogenous switching regression application. Economic Modelling, 147, 107047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107047
15. Malisauskaite, G., Nizalova, O., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2022). Unemployment and well-being of Europeans across the life cycle: The role of countries’ macroeconomic situation. Social Indicators Research, 162, 1387–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-022-02892-y
16. Mankiw, N. G. (2024). Principles of Macroeconomics (4). Instructor’s Manual with Solutions Manual. Retrieved from. https://www.academia.edu/download/53871586/solutions_of_book.pdf
17. Markeson, B., & Deller, S. (2012), Growth of Rural Us Non-Farm Proprietors with a Focus on Amenities. Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, 24(3), 83-105. https://doi.org/10.1111/rurd.12000.
18. Martin, L., McNeill, T., & Warren-Smith, I. (2013). Exploring business growth and eco innovation in rural small firms. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 19(6), 592-610. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-10-2012-0118
19. Narrod, C., Roy, D., Okello, J., Avendan, B., and Rich, K. (2009). Thorat A. Public private partnerships and collective action in high value fruit and vegetable supply chains. Food policy. 2009 Feb 1;34(1):8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2008.10.005
20. Omri, A., Frikha, M. A., & Bouraoui, M. A. (2015). An empirical investigation of factors affecting small business success. Journal of Management Development, 34(9), 1073–1093. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-07-2013-0088
21. Pourmohammadi, M., & Yousefi, K. (2021). Pandemic in labor market: Evidence from Iran. The Journal of Planning and Budgeting. Retrieved from http://jpbud.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1072-3&sid=1&slc_lang=fa&ftxt=1&pure_pdf=1.
22. Pourmohammadi, M., Taiebnia, A., & Yousefi, K. (2025). Microfinance as a Catalyst for Change: Evaluating the Success of Iran's Rural Employment Program from 2017 to 2022. Iranian Economic Review, 29(3), 1040-1067. https://doi.org/10.22059/ier.2025.390349.1008194
23. Tian A. (2017). Supply chain traceability system for food safety based on HACCP, blockchain & Internet of things. In 2017. International conference on service systems and service management 2017 Jun 16 (pp.1-6). IEEE.
24. Tripathi, R., Yadav, U. S., Tripathi, M. A., Rawat, R., & Kushwaha, J. (2022). Performance of women artisans as entrepreneurs in ODOP in Uttar Pradesh to boost economy: Strategies and away towards Global Handicraft Index for small business. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 26(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/1528-2678-26-1-104
25. Watts, N., Amann, M., Arnell, N., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Beagley, J., Belesova, K., Boykoff, M., Byass, P., Cai, W., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Capstick, S., Chambers, J., Coleman, S., Dalin, C., Daly, M., Dasandi, N., Dasgupta, S., Davies, M., Di Napoli, C., … Costello, A. (2021). The 2020 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Responding to converging crises. The Lancet, 397(10269), 129–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32290-X
26. Zou, B., & Mishra, A. K. (2024). Modernizing smallholder agriculture and achieving food security: An exploration in machinery services and labor reallocation in China. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46(4), 1662–1691. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13433