تحلیل نقش کارآفرینی زنان روستایی در توسعه پایدار کشاورزی با تأکید بر محصولات غذایی (مطالعه موردی: شهرستان رامهرمز)

Introduction
Rural women's entrepreneurship in agricultural food products is considered one of the key components of sustainable agricultural development. In many rural communities, women play a fundamental role in the production and processing of agricultural products and, as entrepreneurs in this field, can have a significant impact on improving family livelihoods and fostering the economic development of rural areas. Moreover, empowering women through entrepreneurship can contribute to achieving sustainable agricultural goals and enhancing the quality of life in rural regions. However, regarding what entrepreneurship in agriculture entails and why it should be emphasized, it is essential to note that the definitions and concepts of entrepreneurship in various sectors such as agriculture, industry, and services are based on similar principles and foundations. While entrepreneurship in agriculture, in essence, does not differ from entrepreneurship in urban areas or other economic sectors, the inputs required to foster entrepreneurship—such as capital, management, education, technology, institutions, infrastructure, market access, distribution networks, and skilled labor—are more readily available in urban and industrial areas than in rural and agricultural regions. In this context, Ramhormoz County, with its unique characteristics, including its reliance on agriculture and related activities, provides a suitable setting to examine the impact of rural women's entrepreneurship on achieving sustainable agriculture. Given the resource limitations, climate change, and socio-economic challenges in this region, analyzing this issue holds particular importance. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to analyze the factors influencing rural women's entrepreneurship in agricultural food products and examine its impact on achieving sustainable agriculture in Ramhormoz County. This study is designed to identify existing capacities, opportunities, and challenges, as well as to evaluate potential strategies for enhancing women's entrepreneurship and fostering sustainable agriculture.
 
Methodology
The present study is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-analytical in terms of its nature and methodology. The statistical population of the research consists of entrepreneurial women residing in rural areas of Ramhormoz County who have been actively engaged in agricultural food product entrepreneurship in recent years. Accordingly, 150 individuals from this population were selected using stratified random sampling, and research data were collected using a research-designed questionnaire. The instrument utilized in this study was validated through content (face) validity and construct validity, and its reliability was confirmed using composite reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data analysis. Specifically, descriptive statistics were used to examine demographic characteristics and research variables, while the research questions were addressed using a variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with the help of SPSS and Smart-PLS software. This approach enables the researcher to treat the main variables in the theoretical model as latent variables, account for measurement errors in estimating parameters related to the model test, and consequently achieve more accurate and reliable estimates.
 
Findings
The findings of this study, utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) and a variance-based approach, demonstrate that rural women’s entrepreneurial capabilities in agricultural food production, as a key variable, have a positive and significant impact on achieving sustainable agricultural development. These results indicate that women’s entrepreneurship plays a fundamental role not only in enhancing the economic productivity of the agricultural sector but also in promoting social equity and conserving natural resources. The analysis of coefficients and statistical indicators suggests that the research model possesses adequate validity and reliability, and the hypothesized paths in the theoretical model are confirmed. Model fit indices, such as CFI, TLI, and RMSEA, show favorable results. The CFI value of 0.93 and the TLI value of 0.91 indicate a high alignment between the data and the theoretical model. Additionally, the RMSEA value of 0.06 reflects a good model fit. Based on the results, the impact coefficient of the entrepreneurial capabilities variable on sustainable agricultural development is 0.684, with a t-statistic of 7.345, indicating high significance at a 95% confidence level. These findings highlight that developing entrepreneurial capabilities among rural women can directly strengthen the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable agriculture. From this perspective, the impact of these capabilities on environmental sustainability is also noteworthy, as many agricultural projects led by women emphasize resource conservation and waste reduction. An examination of factor loadings (λ) and convergent and discriminant validity indices indicates that the research measurement tool has the required precision and accuracy. Factor loadings range from 0.730 to 0.885, and t-values exceed the critical threshold of 1.96, reflecting a strong alignment between the observed variables and their related latent variables. The average variance extracted (AVE) values exceed 0.50, confirming the sufficiency of variance explained by the latent variables. Furthermore, the composite reliability (CR) indices for all constructs are above 0.70, indicating high reliability of the research instrument. Overall, these results demonstrate the high quality of the research instrument's design and its ability to accurately measure the intended variables.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings of this research indicate that recognizing the role of rural women in the entrepreneurship of agricultural food products is essential for achieving sustainable agriculture. This role can be examined from various dimensions: “Economic Dimension: Developing managerial and entrepreneurial skills among women can contribute to increasing the income of rural households and reducing poverty”. “Social Dimension: Women's entrepreneurship enhances their social status within the family and community, creating opportunities for greater participation in decision-making processes”. “Environmental Dimension: The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by women can lead to the conservation of natural resources and the reduction of environmental pollution”.