Comprehensive Rural Development Research Articles

The impact of livelihood capital on sustainable livelihood capacity of farmers: evidence from Yunnan Province, China

ABSTRACT The quality and quantity of livelihood capital are crucial pathways to promote sustainable development in rural areas and enhance the quality of life for farmers. Based on on-site survey data from 612 households in four counties, including Yuanyang County in Yunnan Province, this study utilizes a multiple linear regression model to empirically analyse the impact of livelihood capital on farmers’ sustainable livelihood capabilities. The results indicate that livelihood capital is an effective means to enhance farmers’ sustainable livelihood capabilities. Natural capital, physical capital, human capital, financial capital, and social capital all exert significant positive influences on farmers’ sustainable livelihood capabilities, with regression coefficients of 0.211, 0.144, 0.315, 0.152, and 0.237, respectively. Additionally, the research reveals that livelihood risks play a significant mediating role between livelihood capital and farmers’ sustainable livelihood capabilities. This study provides important insights for formulating comprehensive rural development policies and offering targeted support measures.

乡村生态振兴的云南实践面临的困境与对策研究

Implementing the rural revitalization strategy is an important measure to promote comprehensive rural development. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China report pointed out that to comprehensively promote rural revitalization, we must “accelerate the construction of an agricultural power and solidly promote the revitalization of rural industries, talents, culture, ecology, and organizations”. As one of the five major revitalization components of rural development, ecological revitalization plays a fundamental role in the overall revitalization of rural areas. This article is based on the practice of rural ecological revitalization in Yunnan, comprehensively sorting out the problems faced by rural areas in Yunnan in the process of promoting ecological revitalization, analyzing their causes, and discussing specific measures to promote the construction of beautiful villages in the context of rural revitalization, in order to provide insights into the practice of rural ecological revitalization. The dilemma provides some useful reference and reference.

Mechanisms for the development of non-urbanized territories: analysis of world experience

Relevance. The paper examines the most effective mechanisms contributing to the development of nonurbanized areas in different countries. The relevance of the topic comes from increased global processes, in particular urbanization and megalopolization. Given the extensive areas of rural areas, opportunities for their effective development are not fully realized in Russia, for this purpose, an analysis of world experience was carried out to adapt the most promising mechanisms in the Russian Federation.Methods. Among the main research methods can be distinguished: complex, statistical, normative, historical, logical, empirical.Results. Comprehensive rural development programs have been studied, the most effective mechanisms used in the EU, Australia, and the USA have been identified and characterized. It is revealed that for scaling in Russia, the following are of the greatest interest: economic mechanisms (development of a local regional product, integrated retail chains, grants for technical support for entrepreneurs), administrative (transaction centers), infrastructure (formation of a single spatial infrastructure network, construction of microhydroelectric power plants), social policy instruments (distance education system, green tourism, geotourism and geoparks). It is concluded that it is necessary to use a differentiated approach to improve the effectiveness of strategic management of an unurbanized territory.

Application of a system dynamics model to evaluate the implementation of payment for environmental services as a reconversion mechanism in high mountain farming

In Colombia, livestock farming has been developed in highlands areas, with influence on these ecosystems and their ecosystem services. Reason why, in 2017, the Colombian issued legal regulations (Decree Law 870), which establishes the payment for environmental services (PES) as a key instrument in the conservation of strategic areas to achieve comprehensive rural development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of two type of highlands livestock agroecosystems to the implementation of a mechanism such as the PES, through scenario simulation based on the System Dynamics methodology. It should contribute to the understanding of this activity and to the formulation of policies for land management, use and conservation. Data and information used in this study came from farms located in La Nevera, municipality of Palmira, Department of Valle del Cauca. Gathered information were used to develop qualitative models (i.e. causal loop diagrams) and quantitative models (stock and flow diagrams) in order to built a mechanistic model aimed to improve understanding of the multiple interactions and synergies that constitute the local agro-ecosystems. It includes the livestock and landscape components and their interaction influencing the ecosystem. The developed model evaluated three alternative scenarios of management with eventual economic incentives to farmers: i) business as usual; ii) incentive for areas destined to preservation; iii) areas released for restoration and future conservation. The main results showed that the proposed PES are a viable strategy for obtaining additional income for the land owners and they would also contribute to the maintenance of the typical natural coverage of the territory. However only considering economic balances, the opportunity cost of reducing livestock farming to preserve land is lower than cost of expected preservation. It might impair the choice of modifying the preferences of land use within the farms. The novelty of the study was the use of a system dynamic model to evaluate future sustainable patterns of PES to prevent side effects on the Colombian mountain area from a social and environmental point of view.

Study on Rural Development Evaluation and Drivers of Sustainable Development: Evidence from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region of China

Rural areas are the basic units of social development and contain residents’ production and living activities, so understanding the nature of rural development has essential theoretical and practical significance. This paper first constructs a rural development evaluation index system, then analyzes the changes in the development level and development pattern of rural areas in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei from 2009 to 2020 in five aspects: prosperous industry, eco-friendly, civilized countryside, effective governance, and affluent living, and then further explore the changes in their comprehensive rural development level and development pattern. Finally, the main drivers of sustainable development in rural areas and their dynamic impacts are studied and analyzed using the boosted regression trees method. The research results show that: (1) from 2009 to 2020, all five aspects of rural development in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei rural areas have progressed to different degrees, among which the development level of affluent living has progressed very significantly and is the primary driver of sustainable rural development in the region; (2) the development level of rural areas in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has improved in general, but the development speed of major agricultural areas such as Baoding, Xingtai and Handan slower; (3) improving rural medical and health conditions, narrowing the urban–rural gap, and activating farmers’ vitality are the main ways to promote sustainable rural development. The results of the study help to gain an in-depth understanding of the rural development in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and also have important reference significance for sustainable rural development in other countries or regions.

Evolutionary Path and Mechanism of Village Revitalization: A Case Study of Yuejin Village, Jiangsu, China

A profound understanding of how China’s villages gradually grow from rural decline to vitalization has essential theoretical and practical values. Through an exploratory case study, this paper adopted the grounded theory method analyzing the village-level data collected from Yuejin in Jiangsu province, China, to reveal the leading forces, the evolutionary path, and mechanism of a typical village revitalizing during the past 40 years of China’s economic reform. Based on comprehensive rural development theory, this article identifies the “critical”, “transitional”, and “induced” forces at different stages of the case village growth, to reveal the cultivation mechanism of rural poverty alleviation, prosperity, and revitalization. The results show that the evolution mechanism of rural revitalization is a process in which the rural core competence evolves from low to high level and from traditional subsistence agriculture to market-oriented industry. The evolution essence of rural revitalization is the integration, reconfiguration, and optimization of the resource under the specific cultivation mechanisms, corresponding to the rural growth path of self-repairing, self-adapting, and self-improving. This study contributes to a better understanding of the growth track of a typical agricultural village during the transition from poverty to vitalization.

Comparative Study of Comprehensive Rural Development in Shivtakrar-Nira,Tahasil Purandar,District Pune,Maharashtra

Rural development is not new concept in India. Whereas eighty percent of the population resides in rural area and seventy-two percent of the work force depends upon agriculture & allied activities. Agriculture obviously plays a very important role in rural development. Therefore, Indian Economy is dependents on Agro-based activities. Rural development is being given top priority in our national planning. Hence, eradication of rural priority is the key of National Economy. Our rural problems are linked with basic needs of the people such as livelihood, literacy; resources are primary reasons of poverty in our country. It is creating gainful self-employment, which is the biggest challenge for the development organization as well as the society by making sustainable use of the natural resources & human skill.
 Rural development involves raising the socio-economic status of the rural population on a sustainable basis through optimum utilization of local resources, both natural and human. While external help is necessary, rural development can achieved only when the rural people actively participated in the development process, in this research work has tried to focus on comparative study of rural development.

Prioritize the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas, and Comprehensively Promote Rural Revitalization

Without agricultural and rural modernization, there would be no national modernization, and without rural revitalization, there would be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed that the goal of “giving priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas and comprehensively promoting rural revitalization” is to increase efforts to continue the work of “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” and to continue the comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization to make agricultural modernization, comprehensive rural progress, and comprehensive rural development. develop. Consolidating the basics Agriculture is the cornerstone of people’s stability and the key to national governance with a population of 1.4 billion. Agriculture must be developed. No matter where industrialization and urbanization are advanced, villages must not perish, and cities and rural areas must coexist. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, if in the process of modernization, “the city is prosperous on one side and the countryside is on the other side”, “this kind of modernization cannot be successful”. To comprehensively build a new path for a modern socialist country, we must follow the objective laws of economic development, make the resolution of “agriculture, rural areas, and farmers” the top priority of the party’s work, insist on giving priority to development, and comprehensively promote rural revitalization. The general trend of taking the realization of socialist modernization as the long-term goal.

Educational Approaches Help Bridge Perception Gaps of Invasive Alien Species (Mikania micrantha) between Managers and Non-managers.

Invasive alien species (IAS) significantly impact biodiversity, human health, and economies, and considerable resources are often used to manage their spread. Few studies have focused on the human perception of IAS management, and little is known about approaches to improve stakeholder perception. This study examined perception gaps between managers and non-managers of a notorious weed Mikania micrantha and the preference for educational approaches to bridge those gaps. Household questionnaires and key informant interviews were conducted in the China-Myanmar Border Region (China), and ordinal logistic regressions and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used in statistical analyses. We found a high level of perception of M. micrantha among stakeholders, and a significant influence of socio-demographic factors including gender, educational level, ethnic group, and geographical location. Scores of the identification, damage, control measure, and manual treatment of M. micrantha were significantly higher for managers than those for non-managers, indicating that there were certain perception gaps between two stakeholder groups. Nine educational approaches were identified as being effective in improving stakeholder perception of IAS, of which training workshops were mostly preferred, followed by brochures (or leaflets) and other promotional materials. Additionally, we propose that well-designed and well-conducted educational approaches would benefit stakeholder perception of IAS, and that integration of IAS management into a comprehensive rural development scheme would improve its long-term performance in marginalized rural communities.

Rola rodzinnych gospodarstw rolnych w rozwoju rolnictwa i obszarów wiejskich w Polsce: stan i perspektywy

W artykule przedstawiono rolę gospodarstw rodzinnych w rozwoju obszarów wiejskich w Polsce. Analiza wykazała, że Polska jest doskonałym przykładem tego, jak kompleksowa polityka rozwoju obszarów wiejskich może prowadzić do udanej modernizacji rolnictwa. Badanie etapów formowania i aktualnego stanu rolnictwa rodzinnego w Polsce pozwoliło na zarysowanie kluczowych czynników jego rozwoju. Ustalono, że rodzinne gospodarstwo rolne pełni wzajemnie powiązane funkcje: komercyjno-produkcyjną, społeczną, środowiskową, kulturowo-cywilizacyjną i osadniczo-wiejską. Udowodniono, że rodzinne gospodarstwa rolne są dominującą siłą napędową rozwoju obszarów wiejskich oraz kształtowania bezpieczeństwa żywnościowego i środowiskowego oraz stabilności społeczno-ekonomicznej w Polsce. Mechanizm zarządzania rozwojem rolnictwa, zgodnie ze Wspólną Polityką Rolną (WPR) Unii Europejskiej (UE), oparty jest na kluczowych czynnikach zrównoważonego rozwoju obszarów wiejskich: gospodarczym, społecznym i środowiskowym, które zapewniają poprawę dobrostanu rolników i stabilności społeczno-ekonomicznej, ochrony środowiska i humanitarnego traktowania zwierząt gospodarskich. Zaproponowano pojęcie rozwoju obszarów wiejskich, które opiera się na rozwoju rolnictwa rodzinnego, co pozwoliło uwzględnić nie tylko zasady mechanizmu rynkowego, ale także ograniczy antropogeniczne oddziaływanie człowieka na przyrodę i przyczyni się do osiągnięcia równowagi społeczno-ekologicznej.

USE OF POSITIVE EXPERIENCE OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN REGULATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT MARKETS IN UKRAINE

The scientific article provides a detailed description and analysis of the experience of developed countries in regulating agro-food markets. Much attention is paid to the experience of the European Union countries. The main directions of state support of food and agricultural production within the framework of the Common Agrarian Policy of the EU are determined, special attention is paid to the models of state support of rural development of the EU countries. Emphasis is placed on the three-component structure of rural development policy in the EU, namely: support for agricultural producers, environmental protection, support for comprehensive rural infrastructure development projects. The ability of EU countries to actively stimulate national agriculture, in which the cost of production per unit of output is usually higher than the world. Mechanisms of state regulation of the agro-food system in the USA, Canada and Japan are considered. The analysis of the policy of financing social food assistance to the population in the USA is carried out, the key strategic tasks are assigned to the Service for Food and Consumer Services, in particular, certain state programs of food assistance to the population in the USA are described. As a result of researches for Ukraine the practice of foreign experience of concrete countries of the world concerning the state support of development of agro-food markets and agricultural production is offered, namely: 1) purchase of surplus agricultural and food products from farmers at the expense of state budget funds to maintain purchase prices and guarantee the profitability of agricultural producers (USA experience); 2) the creation of a state institution to stimulate the export of state products, including food and agro-industrial (the experience of the USA, Japan, Germany, etc.); 3) introduction of a system of stimulating the export of Ukrainian food products through commodity lending under the guarantee of export credit agencies, which will allow importers to raise funds for a long time (the experience of the USA, Japan, Poland, Germany); 4) introduction of a system of “land outsourcing” – the purchase or lease by food-importing countries of agricultural land abroad (the experience of China, India, Saudi Arabia). Keywords: agrobusiness, agro-food products, experience of EU countries, common agricultural policy, support of agricultural producers, state food aid programs.

Risk perception and management of debris flow hazards in the upper salween valley region: Implications for disaster risk reduction in marginalized mountain communities

Debris flows in mountain environments are among the most destructive natural hazards often leading to loss of human lives and economic damage. Understanding the public perception of debris flow hazards and associated adaptation measures generates theoretical and practical basis for disaster risk reduction in mountain environments. Based on household questionnaires and key informant interviews, we determined risk perception and management of debris flow events in the Upper Salween Valley Region, China, and implications for disaster risk reduction in marginalized mountain communities. Our findings demonstrated that farmers perceived heavy and frequent rainfall as a primary natural cause for debris flow events, and road construction as a major anthropogenic factor. In addition, farmers perceived a big threat and high occurrence probability of debris flow hazards. Farmers obtained information from television programs and local government to enhance their awareness of debris flow risks; they preferred living away from debris flow gullies and relying on help from neighbors to reduce risks. The government employed emergency cards to improve farmers’ emergency response capabilities, and manual early-warning systems to ensure risk management. This research indicates a long-term interaction between mountain communities and debris flow hazards, and a development perspective which integrates the development of disaster risk reduction strategies into rural development programs. Therefore, risk reduction of debris flows in marginalized mountain communities will benefit from the integration of farmer-based measures into government-led programs, and the implementation of a comprehensive rural development scheme.

Planning for sustainable livelihood development in the context of rural South Africa: A micro-level approach

In South Africa, different spheres of government (national, provincial and municipal) have different responsibilities with respect to rural planning and development. Rural development strategies, however, are predominately developed by national and provincial government (centralised planning) such as, for example, the 2009 Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) and the 2018 draft National Spatial Development Framework (NSDF). These efforts from different spheres of the South African government are nevertheless still not having the desired effect in the development of sustainable rural livelihoods, according to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, similar to policies and efforts to implement them elsewhere in Africa. In addition to the appropriate planning and implemen-tation scale, the spatial dimension of rural livelihood within the South African context also requires a specific understanding of the extreme differentiation of areas within ‘rural South Africa’. Research regarding the impact of planning at village level (micro-level), as presented in this article, may provide valuable insights for realising sustainable rural livelihoods. This article aims, through an analysis of relevant literature, to examine the sustainable develop-ment discourse, in general, while addressing sustainable rural livelihoods and micro-level planning, in particular. The main research question concerns the way in which micro-level planning can contribute to ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods in South Africa. The article also discusses the complexity of ‘rural’ space and its understanding in the development planning framework of South Africa, providing the spatial context for sustainable rural livelihoods. Examples of micro-level planning approaches in Africa and South Africa are discussed to elucidate their applicability to sustainable rural livelihood development in South Africa. In conclusion, the analysis reveals that, while centralist policies are pursued in South Africa to support sustainable rural development, the actual realisation of sustainable rural livelihoods may well require micro-level development planning strategies. The implication for academics, planning professionals and politicians is that the support and development of microlevel sustainable rural livelihood planning should be pursued to attain the goals of the National Development Plan (2012) of eliminating poverty and to encourage citizens to be active in their own development.

The Illegal Artisanal and Small-scale mining (Galamsey) ‘Menace’ in Ghana: Is Military-Style Approach the Answer?

The Illegal Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (Galamsey) ‘Menace’ in Ghana: Is a Military-Style Approach the Answer?The artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector accounts for approximately 31 percent of the total gold production in Ghana and plays a significant role in the economic development of the country. However, the recent alarming levels of water pollution associated with illegal ASM operations have ignited serious debate, sustained media campaigns, mounting public condemnation, and sustained pressure on the government to find a lasting solution to ASM operations in the country. In response, the government has turned to the use of a military-style approach (military and police taskforce) to ‘flush out’ illegal ASM operators. Relying on key informant interviews, newspaper reports, and household surveys, this paper investigates the sustainability of the use of a military-style approach to eliminate illegal ASM operations. The evidence suggests that through arrests and confiscation and destruction of mining equipment, the turbidity levels of some water bodies improved. However, due to the powerful influence some politicians and traditional authorities command in the ASM sector, the military-style approach often becomes ineffective leading to a ‘catch and release’ pattern, which is discriminatory and promotes inequalities with disproportionate impacts on poor illegal ASM communities. The findings show that the use of a military-style approach fails to address the most fundamental issues, such as poor economic conditions, increased youth unemployment, and illiteracy which drive people into illegal ASM. Moreover, government forces are not immune to corruption. We argue that a military-style approach is not a sustainable solution to the illegal ASM ‘menace’ in Ghana. Therefore, we recommend the development and implementation of a comprehensive rural development plan that addresses dimensions of poverty, such as youth unemployment, rural illiteracy, and joblessness.

Assessment of Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in Empowering Rural Women at Umhlontlo Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province

Assessment of Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in Empowering Rural Women at Umhlontlo Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province

Market-oriented model of organization of agricultural services, non-profit cooperatives for the use of dairy resources

The strategic goal of economic and social policy in the countryside should be to ensure an integrated multifunctional development of communities, which would increase their role not only in the development of agricultural production, but also in other types of labor activities, and also, which is very important, to ensure a favorable environment for their living. Thus, the strategic foundation of this solution is the development of the productive forces of each rural community. Therefore, the orientation of the rural communities, especially the united ones, to its own resources and opportunities is the strategic basis for the revival of the Ukrainian peasantry, and given the amount of unemployed population living in rural areas today, it has a rational content. In this context, state aid could take part in the development of a Comprehensive rural development program and the revival of the peasantry, with regard to possibilities of each community, based on the new economic policy, the basis and strategic base of which should be mass co-operative movement. Due to the association of small rural producers, their contribution to the production of gross agricultural products will be significantly appreciable, so effective assistance to power structures of all levels, especially legal ones, could actually, in a short period of time, affect the increase in the profitability of their management, the creation of acceptable social conditions, improving their social protection, adapting and raising awareness of the latest technological solutions to increase their own production of cheap and quality products, as well as what is extremely important today is the improvement of the well-being of the peasants. A comprehensive, consolidated combination of the concrete efforts of the state and the resources that the rural population still possesses, in the name of its new territorial communities, under certain conditions, could become a major driving force in ensuring the systematic development and revival of the Ukrainian peasantry, which is one of the most important foundations of its existence. The modern village really needs development, and this development – financial, organizational, systemic and other forms of support. That is, there is a need for a coherent and systemic village development policy, or, as they call it European researchers, rural development policy, in our today's sense, as well as united territorial communities. Against the backdrop of a sharp rise in energy prices, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, feed, services, etc., low purchase prices, the lack of stable and reliable sales channels makes its production extremely ineffective. Solving similar issues in Ukraine is possible only with the state support for the development of agricultural servicing cooperatives as an important factor, increasing the competitiveness of private farms and individuals who are engaged in agricultural production, improving their socio-economic status and expanding their employment. The development of cooperation is a logical stage in the development of a market economy system in agriculture and one of the ways of integrated development of rural united communities. In particular, the success of rural cooperatives in Galicia in the first half of the 20th century showed a high level of adaptability of local economic traditions to European culture of agricultural production and successful agricultural business. This, extremely important for today's conditions, the experience of the survival of the Galician village until 1939, as well as the Ukrainian community abroad, showed that only uniting all the patriotic forces of the Ukrainian community and channeling their efforts to revive a solid, highly organized under the state guardianship and protection of the cooperative movement, will enable in the coming years to ensure sustainable development of rural communities and to solve problems of food security of the state.

Factors affecting educational training program for local capacity building: Empicial evidence from comprehensive rural village development projects in Bonghwa

Factors affecting educational training program for local capacity building: Empicial evidence from comprehensive rural village development projects in Bonghwa

Farmers' contact with agricultural extension in Haditha district and its relation to some variables

The study aimed to identify the communicative level of farmers in the agricultural extension system in Haditha district through various means of communication and the relationship of this level with the age of the farmer, his educational achievement and his confidence in the agricultural extension system. A random sample of 10% of the total number of farmers 1138 was selected. The number of respondents was 114 farmers. A questionnaire was used to collect data from farmers through a personal interview. The results of the study showed that there is a significant weakness in the communication process between the farmers and the agricultural communication system by different means whether individual, collective or public, where 80.55, 94.74 and 90.50% of the farmers indicated that they did not communicate through these means, respectively. The study showed that there is a correlation between the level of communication and the farmers’ age, his educational achievement and his confidence in the agricultural extension system. The study recommended the necessity to develop the extension system and increase its effectiveness at all levels, whether local or central, and provide material and human support for it to carry out his tasks in the delivery of modern agricultural techniques and achieve comprehensive rural development.

Rural Development within the Context of Development, Sustainability and Rural Issues – Some Constitutional, Policy and Implementation Perspectives

This article provides an overview of some developments, internationally, regionally and in the SADC, in relation to development, that may be expected to influence the South African government’s response to the development needs of the people in the country. An overview is provided of the somewhat haphazard way in which the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 refers to the need for and objective of development (including rural development) in the country. Through their explanatory outline of three distinct phases in South African rural development law and policy: 1994–2000 (the Reconstruction and Development Programme and related documents and their implementation); 2000–April 2009 (the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy and its implementation) and April 2009+ (the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme and related documents), the authors review some of the historical strengths and future prospects related to rural development in South Africa. Based on an assessment of historical trends, a number of recommendations are made for government’s way forward in the implementation of the constitutional objectives, law and policy relevant to rural development in the country.

An Analysis on Commercialization of Strawberry Cultivation and its Determinants in Marivan County

Extended Abstract 1. INTRODUCTION Agricultural development is an important factor in any comprehensive rural development plan and because of its role and stance in the rural economy as the main activity, has a substantial contribution and obligation in rural development, especially in developing countries. It can provide formal and informal employment for those with both adequate and limited education and skill, and has proved to be a sustainable channel for poverty-stricken households in generating income. This potential role of agriculture in reducing poverty is particularly important according to the fact that the incidence of poverty is more evident in rural areas. The size of agriculture within the local economy is sometimes used to define rurality; therefore, any successful rural development strategy will be associated with agricultural development component while they are not a same thing. 2. METHODOLOGY The present study aims to identify and introduce the commercialization components of strawberry cultivation as the main agricultural product of Marivan Township and evaluate its determinants causally. A stratified random sample including 191 strawberry cultivators have been interviewed to gather the needed data, based on a self-designed and validated questionnaire. The dependent variable of strawberry cropping commercialization has been operationalized considering the area under cultivation, cropping specialization, cropping intensification, under cultivation area addition, crop yield, sale proportion and packing, as its sub criteria. A set of economic, social, technical, and institutional factors, as the independent variables, were operationalized and measured differently using appropriate questions. These variables are the economical and livelihood situation of the family, informal vocational trainings, satisfaction and hopes with the job and its future, facilities and infrastructural possibilities, institutional and governmental supports, awareness and application of updated knowledge, technical factors (machinery, modern irrigation, and waged labor utilization), land quality and management, losses control and product’s security. 3. DISCUSSION The measurement and evaluation of commercialized strawberry cultivation, as a dependent scale, was done using statistical data processing procedures. By eliminating biased observed variables, the final validated scale measuring crop intensity and crop specialty followed by other components like crop yield, marketed production, and cultivation expansion by the crop’s income. Following the measurement scale of commercialization, statistical regression analysis approach was used to interpret its causal relationships with independent variables. Economical and livelihood situation of the family, technical factors (machinery, modern irrigation, and waged labor utilization), land quality and management, product’s security, informal vocational trainings, satisfaction and hopes with the job and its future, and finally institutional and governmental supports, have been the final sets of significant effective factors in commercialization of strawberry cultivation in the studied area, respectively. 4. CONCLUSIONS The social and economic viability of many rural communities in developing countries depends ever highly on farming activities and entails its development. Provision and promotion of food security, creation and durability of job and income opportunities, and development of farming as well as non-farming activities are some aspects of mentioned peripheral rural communities’ redemption from their involving integrated poverty. In terms of the process of agricultural development, there is a worldwide trend for agricultural industry to replace the traditional pattern with a commercialized one. Commercialization is essential for agricultural development, which, amongst other things, entails mechanization of agriculture to reduce the cost of production and to increase the yield of crops. In some instances, agricultural commercialization may take place even without mechanization. Agricultural commercialization refers to the shift from subsistence production to an increasingly complex production and consumption system based on the market. Apart from marketing of agricultural outputs, it includes product choice and input use decisions based on the principles of profit maximization. A low degree of commercialization involves production essentially for subsistence purposes, with very little surplus to be sold in the market. In considering commercialization, production is specialized and based on modern technology, and income stabilization and profit making are among the major concerns of farmers rather than such issues as food security. Specialized cropping regards to the different regional and geographical properties is one of the major approaches to optimize the productive potencies of disperse smallholders. Some of the non-compromising requisites are as strengthening of production systems by input (seeds, fertilizers, machines, equipment etc.) and output (products) flows, development of conductive social structures, development of research, education and advisory institutions, development and enhancement of infrastructures such as all-weather roads, power, communication and irrigations systems, transportation, warehousing and marketing facilities, and processing industries.