| Abstrakt: |
Since encouraging villagers to engage in businesses based on natural ecosystems in an entrepreneurial manner is the most appropriate strategy to address economic and social challenges in rural areas, the purpose of this research is to prioritize sustainable business plans that align with the development of rural entrepreneurship, emphasizing pasture ecosystem services. For this purpose, in the present study, 393 rangeland users were selected from four villages (Zoo Olia, Keshanak, Darkash, and Chakhmaghaloo) in Maneh and Samalghan cities. First, the economic valuation of four main rangeland functions (fodder production, honey production, medicinal plant production, and tourism) was conducted using a questionnaire and a random sampling method. Subsequently, the potential for income generation from each of these functions was assessed. In the next step, the costs associated with each of these businesses were collected using survey information. Following this, the financial evaluation of the business plans was performed using financial indicators, including NPV, B/C ratio, ROI, and IRR. The results indicated that three businesses (animal husbandry, beekeeping, and establishing eco-tourism accommodations) are economically viable, while the business of packaging and processing medicinal plants lacks economic justification. The market for these businesses was analyzed by examining the supply and demand gap in the study area; the results showed that all four proposed businesses have a supply and demand gap and a viable market. Prioritization of these four businesses was conducted using indicators from previous stages of the research (economic value of each rangeland function, income absorption potential, costs and incomes, and financial and economic evaluation indicators) by scoring each indicator. The results showed that in order of priority: 1) establishment of eco-tourism accommodations, 2) animal husbandry (sheep breeding), 3) beekeeping, and 4) medicinal plant processing have the first to fourth priorities for empowering beneficiaries in the target villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
