Introduction
The agricultural sector is responsible for ensuring food provision for a growing population. To guarantee the long-term continuity of food production, the production system must be structured in such a way that, while producing sufficient food, it preserves the fundamental resources required for production, remains economically viable, and sustains rural communities in terms of social cohesion and long-term livability. Under such conditions, rural communities are maintained, the agricultural sector preserves its productive and economic capacity, thereby meeting part of society’s food requirements, and water and soil resources are utilized sustainably. The outcome of such an approach is the preservation of food production capacity for future generations, which constitutes the very concept of sustainability. Social sustainability in rural and agriculture-based communities has faced numerous challenges due to poverty, limited welfare facilities compared to urban areas, migration phenomena, the increasing tendency toward urbanization, and the lack of economic diversification. At the same time, it has gained growing importance for the preservation of rural communities. Moreover, the emergence of environmental phenomena such as climate change and the associated requirements for mitigation and adaptation have further underscored the necessity of addressing rural social sustainability and social justice. Given the importance and implications of social sustainability for the continuity of rural life, food production, and the preservation of rural ecosystems, natural resources, and environmental and economic capital, the existence and strengthening of social sustainability are essential. Enhancing social sustainability can increase the sense of place attachment and belonging, prevent excessive migration of rural residents and farmers, particularly the younger generation, and from a macro perspective, contribute to food security. Considering the significance of social sustainability in agriculture and agriculture-based rural areas, the present study aims to examine the impact of selected determinants affecting sustainability at the national and macro-social levels.

Materials and Methods
In the present study, social sustainability was measured using the composite Social Sustainability Index of the agricultural sector designed and developed in Fallah (2019). The sub-indices comprising this indicator include the food self-sufficiency sub-index, the non-discriminatory employment sub-index, and the access to extension services sub-index. The “min–max” normalization method was employed to standardize the collected data for each sub-index. Ultimately, the Social Sustainability Index in the agricultural sector was calculated for the years under study using the following equation:
where represents the Social Sustainability Index of the agricultural sector in year , denotes the weight of each sub-index, and is the standardized value of each sub-index in year .
To estimate the cointegration relationship among the model variables, the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) approach was applied. The data used in this study were collected from various statistical sources for the period 1994–2024.

Results and Discussion
The long-run model results indicate that a one-percent improvement in the governance index leads to a 27-percent improvement in the Social Sustainability Index of Iran’s agricultural and rural sector. The Human Development Index (HDI) was found to be statistically significant with the expected sign. The estimated coefficient shows that a one-percent increase in the HDI results in a 10-percent improvement in the Social Sustainability Index of the agricultural sector. The per capita real value added of the agricultural sector and its squared term were statistically significant with positive and negative signs, respectively, indicating the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between agricultural value added and the Social Sustainability Index. Based on the significance and signs of these coefficients, it is evident that with the growth of per capita agricultural value added, the Social Sustainability Index initially improves; however, as real growth in the agricultural sector continues, this positive effect diminishes, reaches a minimum point, and beyond this turning point, further increases in per capita agricultural value added exert a negative impact on the Social Sustainability Index. Energy consumption in the agricultural sector also had a positive and statistically significant effect on the Social Sustainability Index. Specifically, a one-percent increase in this variable leads to a 14-percent improvement in the Social Sustainability Index of the agricultural sector. In the short-run model, the error correction coefficient was negative and statistically significant. Its magnitude indicates that following a shock to any of the model variables, approximately 12 percent of the deviation from the long-run equilibrium path is corrected in each period, and the system returns to its long-run equilibrium trajectory after approximately eight years.

Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the Human Development Index and the governance quality index have positive and statistically significant effects on the social sustainability of the agricultural sector. This result underscores the necessity of paying attention to governance quality components, including community participation, rule of law, efficiency and effectiveness of government policies in the agricultural and rural sectors, corruption control, transparency, and political stability. Furthermore, investment in health, education, and the economic empowerment of local communities, which contributes to enhanced social sustainability, should receive priority from policymakers. In light of the findings, it is recommended that improving governance quality components in the agricultural sector and rural communities be pursued as an effective policy measure. One influential dimension of public participation, recognized as a component of governance and a determinant of social sustainability, is the formation of agricultural organizations such as Farmers’ Houses, Water Users Associations, and various agricultural cooperatives. Additionally, increasing access to service and extension centers and implementing appropriate policies aimed at reducing deprivation in rural communities can contribute to the improvement of social sustainability.