Strategies for the Cultivation of Medicinal Plants in Lorestan Province with a Foresight Approach

Development strategies for the cultivation of medicinal plants in Lorestan province with a foresight approach



Introduction

Medicinal plants have great value and importance in providing the health of the society, and the global demand for herbal products has been growing in recent years, although slower, but research has shown that nearly 80% of the famous and usable medicinal plants in the world are in most parts of Iran. is cultivated; More than 2,300 species of plants in the country have medicinal, aromatic, spice and cosmetic properties; In addition, 1728 species of these plants are known as native plants of Iran, which are considered as exclusive capacity in the country. Currently, identifying the capabilities of the country's medicinal plants is a priority in our country's development plans, and comprehensive planning in this field can lead to an increase in employment and the realization of medicinal food security. The current research investigates this issue and in this regard, it uses the future-viewing approach and intends to answer the following questions:

- What are the factors affecting the development of medicinal plant cultivation in Lorestan province?

- What are the drivers for the development of medicinal plant cultivation in Lorestan province?

- What are the strategies for the development of medicinal plant cultivation in Lorestan province?



Research methodology

In terms of its purpose, this research is considered as applied research; Also, the current research is a descriptive (non-laboratory) and single-section type of research. In this research, according to the nature of the research, one of the forecasting techniques called the analysis of drivers was used, so it is a type of future-oriented and normative research. in this research, interviews were conducted until the theoretical saturation was reached, and the sample size in the final report was 37 experts and informed farmers.

Examining the first objective: In this part, an open question was raised as follows: "In your opinion, what are the most important factors in the development of medicinal plant cultivation in Lorestan province?"

And each of the respondents was asked to write down their opinion briefly and anonymously. Finally, using the STEEP analytical model, the solutions were included in the form of five dimensions "social, technological, economic, environmental and political". Examining the second objective: The information and data needed in this step were obtained by the questionnaire/matrix of cross effects. In this research, first, all the components finalized in the previous stage of the research were designed in the form of a "cross effects" matrix and will be returned to the interviewees and they were asked to score.

Also, at this stage, it was tried to formulate the strategies based on the STEEP analytical model, in five formats "social, technological, economic, environmental and political" and completely in accordance with the findings of the research.



Results

First, using semi-structured interviews with 37 respondents, the goal was investigated, and the interviews were conducted using content analysis, and the initial results were 449 codes. 2- Then the open codes were re-examined. At this stage, using the STEEP analytical model, the codes were included in five dimensions "social, technological, economic, environmental and political". In the continuation of this process and after categorizing the codes, duplicate and similar items were removed and 13 solutions were finalized.

Examining the third objective of the research: In this part of the research, strategies should be developed according to the previous results, and the content of the strategies should be consistent with the drivers based on the STEEP analytical model and fully consistent with the findings of the research. On the other hand, for the implementation of each strategy, solutions were stated, which, according to the interviews, were necessarily addressed to the issues that are currently facing challenges or weaknesses in relation to the development of medicinal plants cultivation, and an effort was made to make all the solutions directly in line with reality.

- Research and technology development strategy (technological aspect

-Risk and crisis management strategy (social dimension).

-social capital and increasing people's participation (social dimension).

-financial support and support for the development of medicinal plants (economic dimension).

-promotion, education and knowledge management (social dimension).

- expanding the production and technology of medicinal plants (technological dimension).



Discussion

Medicinal plants have a special value, and in recent years, the use of medicinal plants is increasing day by day due to the proof of their beneficial effects, their cheapness, lack of side effects, and their compatibility with the environment. Today, the importance of medicinal plants and their vital role in promoting national, regional and global goals for achieving health, creating employment and economic development is very effective. Therefore, the cultivation of medicinal plants and the production of its products can be a national necessity and within the framework of a specific and comprehensive program, it will lead to the development of the agricultural sector.



Conclusion

In the present study, the solutions for the development of medicinal plant cultivation in Lorestan province were considered, and the results showed that the first driver was "development of research and technology", which emphasizes scientific research and technology of medicinal plants. Another driver was "crisis risk management practices" which shows the importance of paying attention to risk taking and crisis reduction. Another driver was "development of social capital and increase of public participation" which shows the importance of paying attention to farmers' participation and development of social capital and communication with farmers. Another driver was "financial support and support for the development of medicinal plants", which shows the importance of paying attention to the financial support and support of the government, including the allocation of fertilizer and seed subsidies, the granting of low-interest and long-term facilities. Another driving force in this research was "promotion, education and management of knowledge about medicinal plants", which shows the importance and role of education and promotion of medicinal plant cultivation. Finally, the last driver was "expanding the production and processing of medicinal plants", which shows the importance of expanding the transformation and processing industries of medicinal plants.