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Natural calamities such as drought, famine, and climate change have collided to create a humanitarian crisis. For the Horn of Africa (HoA), famine is among the factors that have caused the worst historical damages to the individual countries. Man-made calamities such as decentralized agricultural, pastoral activities and forest clearing are also root causes for the damage. Institutional arrangements (IAs) on land tenure systems and agricultural land conversion (ALC) as a part of this problem will be analyzed in this paper. Poor IAs on land are considered the main cause of insecure land tenure which diminishes the productivity of agriculture in this region, and this, specifically in times of drought, exacerbates famine. Accordingly, the paper explores the idea that to what extent poor IAs on land tenure systems can explain the famine in the HoA. IAs on land comprise two main functions: land quality management and regulation and standard-setting for land utilization. The types of IAs for land often differ. The "optimal" arrangement depends on political, economic, social, climatic, geographical, and technical factors that together form a complex system of IAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased demand for fertile lands has resulted from the exponential growth of the world's population in the twenty-first century. This mechanism results in widespread land tenure adjustments in a specific arrangement of rights, partnerships, and structures, which is in direct opposition to the existence of land as a small and necessary asset. While several attempts have been made to clarify land tenure conflicts, and scholars have studied them from different perspectives, there is still a significant gap in our knowledge of land tenure-related conflicts in the agricultural system and their production. As a result, this paper examined 85 pieces of literature (from 2013 to 2021) on the impact of land registration on the link between land tenure and agricultural productivity in Iran and throughout the world. Land tenure arrangements in Iran are evolving as a result of land demand and improvements in agricultural techniques, according to the results. Furthermore, each land tenure scheme can include a variety of land types, each with its own set of rules and patterns for use. The findings showed that further research with a combined locally-set methodology is required to better understand any relationship(s) between land tenure system (LTS) and agricultural production (AP), in addition to highlighting the value of land knowledge updating and the efficiency of local land management institutions. This study concluded that explaining land-related conflicts, mechanisms of power, and legal actions are important steps toward guiding the consequences of the growth of agricultural LTS in Iran, which leads to effective solutions at the area level. • This study identified land registry impact on the relationship between land tenure and agricultural productivity. • The result showed land tenure arrangements are evolving as a result of land demand in agricultural techniques. • The opportunities and limitations posed by tenure rules can form technology acceptance patterns. • The implications of native communities' behavior towards non-indigenous people are important distinctions to consider. • A reform of the communal land tenancy scheme is necessary for long-term farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study aimed to compare agricultural sustainability with and without land leveling and consolidation plans. • Results showed that in leveled and consolidated lands, the sustainability status of the ecological dimension is "good". • The sustainability status of the social and economic dimensions is "moderate". • The net present value of agricultural activities' revenues is higher in leveled and consolidated lands. • Agricultural activities in leveled and consolidated lands have a better status in terms of sustainability. In recent years, sustainability has always been one of the most important approaches in policy making and program development in general, especially in the agricultural sector. On the other hand, land leveling and consolidation programs are usually implemented as the development programs of the agricultural sector in different regions of Iran. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the agricultural sustainability in two different regions (with and without land leveling and consolidation) in Zarghan District, Fars Province, Iran. In this research, a quantitative research approach has been used, and data were collected in two phases using a researcher-made questionnaire. The results of the first phase of the study showed that in the leveled and consolidated lands, the ecological dimension is potentially in a good status of sustainability, but social and economic dimensions are in a moderate status. In the unleveled and unconsolidated lands, the ecological dimension is potentially in a good status, while the social dimension is in a moderate, and economic dimensions are in a potentially weak status of sustainability. In addition, comparing the results of the two groups of lands demonstrated that there is a significant difference between them in terms of ecological and economic sustainability, and in consolidated and leveled lands, ecological and economic sustainability are in a more favorable status. Furthermore, the results of the second phase of the research indicated that agricultural activities in both categories of land are beneficial. However, the net present value of agricultural activities revenues in the leveled and consolidated lands is higher than those of the areas outside the coverage of this plan. Therefore, it can be concluded that agricultural activities in leveled and consolidated lands, not only have a better status in terms of sustainability but also have a higher economic justification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to adversely affect agricultural production, particularly in Iran where the agricultural sector forms the backbone of the economy. This is true for the agriculture sector of the southwest region of Iran which is largely rain-fed and dominated by smallholder farmers with minimal livelihood alternatives. Although several studies have been conducted on climate change, little has been done on the adaptive capacity of farmers within farming systems, especially in Iran. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the adaptive capacity of four common farming systems (i.e., family farming system, cooperative farming system, commercialized farming system, and agro-enterprise farming system) in Fars province, southwestern Iran. A seven-step approach was used to normalize, weigh, and aggregate 102 individual indicators within a composite adaptive capacity index that is dimensionless, ranging from 0 to 1, and 1 is the optimal value. The required data were collected using a cross-sectional survey from 1472 farmers within the four mentioned farming systems. The results showed that the highest value was recorded by agro-enterprise for knowledge, perception and awareness, transport and physical accessibility, and institution and economic resources. Agro-enterprise scored higher in terms of awareness and action, which shows that these farming systems have a higher capacity for adaptation to the threat posed by climate diversity. Farmers in this farming system benefit from high formal education, high perceptions about the threat and risk of climate change, the occurrence of climatic events, causes for the change in climatic parameters, and awareness of climate change impacts. This paper recommends resilience-building interventions in the study area, which target individuals with low adaptive capacities, especially farmers. The results can also assist agricultural policymakers to recognize which components and determinants of adaptive capacity should be prioritized to mitigate the threat of climate change to farming systems. [Display omitted] • This study aimed to investigate the adaptive capacity of common agricultural systems • Climate change has a negative impact on Iran's agricultural production systems • The results showed that farmers at agro-enterprises have a well awareness of climate change adaptation • It is essential to obtain information about potential, effective, and cost-effective adaptation options [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]