AGRICULTURE in Iran. The rural economy, for millennia the
economic and social basis for all Persian governments, is
characterized by a series of ecological and economic restraints
that have hampered its development. While the natural
limitations of the country have effects on the extent of
agriculturally usable land and the kinds of crops grown, the
socioeconomic structure of Iran and its historical foundations
are important for the organization of agricultural production
and for economic development. Of special importance for the
understanding of the historical development of Iranian
agriculture is the theory of rent-capitalism
(Rentenkapitalismus) developed by the Austrian geographer H.
Bobek (1959, 1961, 1974, 1976-77). Ecological foundations of
Iranian agriculture. Limited availability of agriculturally
usable soils and the lack of water are the most important
natural barriers for agriculture in Iran. Due to topography and
unfavorable climate, only the mountainous north, northwest and
west receive suffici