OICC Press International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development 2159-5860 15 4 2025 12 31 Examining the sustainability framework in rice production with an emphasis on social stakeholders (A case study of Rudsar County) 10.57647/ijamad.2025.1504.23 EN Fatemeh Feizi Reza Esfanjari Kenari Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan. Mohamad Karim Motamed Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan Journal Article 2025 12 31 The social life cycle is an emerging area in the agricultural and food industry that measures social impacts such as working conditions, community effects, and human rights issues. The release of guidelines for social life cycle assessment in 2009 marked a significant advancement in life cycle assessment. As we aim for sustainable development and responsible production, it is crucial to enhance both environmental and social conditions in production. Social life cycle assessment is identified as the most effective method for evaluating the social impacts of products throughout their life cycle. The present research was conducted in Rudsar County, Gilan province in 2025 to investigate the social effects of rice production by using social life cycle assessment. So, 418 participants were randomly sampled from five stakeholder groups, including rice mill managers (51 people), rice mill workers (81 people), rice farmers (95 people), rice field workers (95 people), and the local community (96 people). In the present study, in order to investigate the social impacts of rice production, four social indicators were evaluated: "human rights", "working conditions", "cultural heritage and community development", and "socio-economic consequences".  The results showed that the social conditions governing the rice production cycle in Rudsar County were at a moderate level. Some social indicators, such as "working conditions," were found to have an average status from the perspective of the stakeholder groups of factory managers, factory workers, rice farmers, and rice field workers. The criteria "cultural heritage and community development" was revealed to be weak and need improvement from the perspective of factory workers, rice farmers, and rice field workers. The assessment revealed poor scores in the "working conditions" sub-criteria, particularly regarding workers' freedom of association, collective negotiation rights, and awareness of basic rights. This lack of awareness has led to conflicts between labor and employers, resulting in worker dissatisfaction. Addressing wage inequalities and gender gaps could significantly enhance living conditions and well-being for households. By prioritizing workers' welfare, the sector can foster a more sustainable and responsible workforce, ultimately improving social sustainability.