Explanation of Changes in Farming Systems, Its Causes and Consequences: A Case Study of Turkmen County, Golestan Province of Iran, 1991-2011

The farming system as a geographical phenomenon changes in accordance with local, economic and social conditions. This evolution leads to special consequences based on its original causes. This study aimed at explaining the changes in farming systems, its causes and consequences based on the characteristics of farming systems applied in Turkmen county during 1991-2011. Over this period, the cultivation pattern applied in Southern Jafarby sub-district in Golestan province of Iran (cotton farming system) was gradually replaced by other systems, the wheat one in particular. The required data were collected through interviews with local elites. Collected data were analyzed in the grounded theory method. The study results showed that region cultivation pattern changed in accordance with certain variable including farmer's income and market demand. Presently, wheat and barley cultivations are the dominant cultivation of area due to governmental and market guarantee policy. Regarding production market, growing cultivation diversity was addressed by the farmers to reduce the degree of risk-taking. The evolution of farming system also had some negative implications; the elimination of cotton cultivation and closing its related processing firms were among negative impacts and also, the elimination of some traditional positive customs including collective work and local cooperation in the region.