Tarbiat Modares University Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology 1680-7073 27 5 2025 08 01 Effect of Contract Farming on the Sustainability of Wheat Production in Iran: Case Study of Golestan Province 971 985 24119 10.48311/jast.2025.24119 EN Seyed Hadi Hosseini Kasgari Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Islamic Republic of Iran. Mahmoud Ahmadpour Borazjani Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Islamic Republic of Iran. Alireza Keikha Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Islamic Republic of Iran. 0000-0003-2170-7868 Mashalla Salarpour Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Islamic Republic of Iran. Journal Article The Ministry of Agriculture Jihad in Iran implemented Contract Farming (CF) for wheat in 2021 to address marketing issues. This study compares agricultural sustainability for some farmers not participating in CF. Agricultural sustainability was assessed by applying a combined index approach that considers economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The required data came from 620 wheat farmers in Golestan Province, sampled using the multi-stage randomization technique. The data were evaluated using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and clustering methods. The findings indicated a significant difference in the performance of economic and environmental sustainability dimensions between two groups of wheat farmers. For the participants, 14.2% were deemed unsustainable, 47.7% were considered partially sustainable, and 38.1% were classified as sustainable. For non-participants, the figures were 38.7, 47.7, and 13.5%, respectively. Therefore, it is suggested to provide more opportunities for participation in this program and expand it to other key crops. Additionally, authorities should provide more information about the benefits of the CF plan. https://jast.modares.ac.ir/article_24119_c0af9dab3e9f53706aea922873c7d2b4.pdf