Introduction: The agricultural sector, as one of the core pillars of development, has consistently been at the forefront of development agendas. Despite farms occupying up to 40 percent of the world's land area, many countries still face significant challenges related to food insecurity and malnutrition. The importance of this sector stems from the vast scope of its management and its inherent variability and dynamism, making the formulation of strategies for it of paramount significance. Therefore, it is imperative to take fundamental steps to prepare foundational studies for the agricultural sector. One approach that can address the failures of top-down and broad-brush strategies in programs of this sector is focusing on the intricate web of interrelated relationships within the agricultural sector. In this context, agriculture has also been a primary component of economic and social development plans in Iran. Despite numerous technical and specialized research and reports in development and construction programs aimed at achieving agricultural development goals, a more thorough examination of these programs is still necessary. It appears that a significant portion of the programs have been developed without in-depth studies on the mechanisms and interlinkages between the legal frameworks and key actors. This approach has led to reduced efficiency and effectiveness in developing this sector. The Seventh Development Plan (2024-2028) in its early stages offers a valuable opportunity to delve deeper into this issue. A comprehensive analysis of the governance pattern, power distribution, and connections between different planning levels (from national to local) in this plan can lead to a better understanding of challenges in the planning and implementation process.
Materials and Methods: The research was both applied in purpose and qualitative in nature, aiming to identify the legal topics related to the agricultural sector and discover the key actors/organizations involved in implementing the Seventh Development Plan (2024-2028). For this purpose, all chapters and 120 legal articles of the Seventh Plan were systematically studied and the relevant data extracted. Due to the volume of data and some program overlaps, the coding and data management process was conducted using MAXQDA 2020. To enhance accuracy and minimize bias, the findings were reviewed and revised in three stages by two academic experts in agriculture and natural resources. The data was then prepared in a network-analyzable format, with two text files created to form a binary matrix. The Ravar Matrix software was utilized to construct the binary matrix in this stage. Ultimately, the binary matrix served as the basis for analysis in UCInet and Gephi. Network analysis indicators were examined at three levels: macro, meso, and micro.
Results and Discussion: In the Seventh Development Plan, 15 legal articles are directly allocated to the agricultural sector. According to the research findings, the relationships between legal themes and actors have formed cohesive yet distinct structures. The network of legal themes, with its numerous links, exhibits higher density, indicating integration, interdependence, and the potential for rapid information dissemination among themes. In contrast, the network of actors is more dispersed, with fewer links leading to the formation of smaller sub-networks. At the meso-level, 12 main actors such as the Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad (MAJ), Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, the Science Vice-Presidency, research organizations, and the private sector are positioned at the core of the network. An additional 21 actors in the periphery cover executive, supportive, supervisory, and specialized roles. In the legal themes network, 11 key themes including water consumption management, production productivity, food security and safety, resilient agriculture, development of smart irrigation management, etc. are at the center, indicating the strategic direction of the plan. Furthermore, 22 peripheral themes cover the operational and supportive aspects of the plan. An examination of micro-indicators also revealed that the themes of “water consumption management”, “production productivity”, and “self-sufficiency” had the highest centrality and served as the main focus for other legal articles. Conversely, themes such as “food safety and security”, “agricultural plan implementation”, and “technical and supportive aid” had played a mediating and linking role, establishing connections between the various articles of the plan.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations: The research indicated that although the Seventh Development Plan had thematic coherence by focusing on water resource management, productivity, and food security, there existed a structural disconnect between the legal articles and the actors involved. This disconnect would affect the effective implementation of policies. In this context, despite the MAJ bearing the primary burden of operational responsibilities, the marginal position of the government as a macro-policy maker, and particularly the lack of effective participation by users and farmers (as the main beneficiaries) under the legal articles, would be fundamental weaknesses of this plan. Therefore, it can be concluded that planners must move the implementation of legal articles away from a scattered and isolated state by addressing the structural disconnect between actors and strengthening inter-institutional coordination. Enhancing the status of users and ensuring their genuine participation as the main beneficiaries is essential for the success of legal articles such as sustainable water management, improved productivity, and food security. Furthermore, redefining the role of the government and executive institutions within a cohesive governance framework can significantly increase the effectiveness of legal articles under the Seventh Development Plan for the development of the agricultural sector.