Evaluating the effects of sustainable food system drivers on food insecurity in rural households of West Azerbaijan Province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

2 Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.

3 Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O Box, 19395-4697 Tehran, Iran.

4 Department of Extension, Communication and Rural Development, University of Zanjan, Iran

5 Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Institute of Nutritional Research and Food Industry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Challenges such as climate change, economic recession, urbanization, globalization and the scarcity and limitation of natural resources have put pressure on food systems and have turned food insecurity into one of the most important issues of the world today, which must be seriously considered. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors influencing the formation of food insecurity in rural households in the form of a food system approach. The main tool for measuring household food insecurity is the HFIAS standard questionnaire. The statistical population of this research is 304837 rural households of West Azerbaijan province. Using Cochran's formula, 482 households were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling as the statistical sample size. The results showed that 17% of rural households were in the food safe group and 83% of households experienced different degrees of food insecurity (mild, moderate and severe). Background variables of household head age, household size; Education level and average annual income had a significant relationship with household food insecurity. The partial least squares analysis (PLS) method was used to measure the impact of food system stimuli on household food insecurity. The results showed that in total, food system stimuli explain 65.5% of food insecurity changes. Considering the potential of the study area in the field of agricultural production, improving and upgrading infrastructure and transportation facilities in the field of technology and infrastructure, as well as reducing instability and instability in food access, including supply fluctuations and Food prices in the political-economic stimulus sector are suggested in order to reduce food insecurity among households in the study area.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Extended Abstract

Objectives

Challenges such as climate change, economic recession, urbanization, globalization and the scarcity and limitation of natural resources have put pressure on food systems and have turned food insecurity into one of the most important issues of the world today, which must be seriously considered. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors influencing the formation of food insecurity in rural households in the form of a food system approach.

1- Determining the food insecurity status of rural households in West Azarbaijan province based on the household food insecurity access index (HFIAS).

2- Investigating the background factors related to the rural household in the formation of food insecurity.

3- Investigating the impact of the main drivers of the sustainable food system on the food insecurity of rural households

 Methods

 The research tool is a questionnaire that consists of three parts. The first part includes questions made by the researcher in relation to the background factors of the household such as (age, level of education, size of the household, average annual income, livestock ownership and vehicle ownership), the second part is the Household Food Insecurity Scale Questionnaire (HFIAS) with 9 questions and 4 Frequency of occurrence (including often, sometimes, rarely and never) that provides data on food insecurity from the dimension of food access at the household level. In the third part, in order to measure the effects of the influencing factors of the food system on the household's food insecurity, questions were asked in the form of a six-level Likert scale of rural households for the effect of each factor. Also, partial least square analysis (PLS) was used to investigate the effects of food system influencing factors on household food insecurity.

 

Results

A comprehensive review of the food security situation of rural households in West Azarbaijan province indicates that 17% of rural households have food security and 83% of the total sample households have mild (24.27), moderate (33) and severe (73) food insecurity respectively. /25) percent are facing. The highest level of food insecurity is related to the average food insecurity group, which includes 159 households (33 percent) out of a total of 482 households. There is a positive and significant correlation between the dimension of rural households (r=0.561) and their level of food insecurity at the 99% confidence level. Also, there is a negative and significant correlation between the level of education (r = -0.275) and the income level of the respondents (r = -0.479) with their food insecurity at the 99% confidence level. The results showed that innovation and infrastructural drivers caused by existing limitations in this field and political-economic drivers respectively had the highest effect on food insecurity of rural households in the studied area. In general, the studied stimuli explain 65.5% of the changes in food insecurity.

 

Discussion

 In the current situation, ensuring food security and maintaining it, especially considering the ever-increasing demand and significant population growth on the one hand, and the improper use of limited and non-renewable resources and reserves, and the emergence of challenges such as climate change, on the other hand, are of great importance. Therefore, the current research, using the sustainable food system approach, in addition to measuring background variables, has investigated the food insecurity situation of rural households in the study area in the form of measuring the effectiveness of food system stimuli.

Natural-physical stimulus: The agricultural sector is greatly affected by these changes due to its strong dependence on climatic and natural phenomena. The results showed that among the questions related to this section, among the rural households of the study area, the effect of climate change on the diversity of household products and the reduction of crop yield has the highest priority. It is suggested that the implementation of strategies in line with climate change to reduce the negative effects of climate change in the study area should be prioritized in the interventions related to reducing food insecurity.

Driving innovation, technology, infrastructural: In addition to production aspects, non-production aspects are also very important in providing and maintaining food security. The infrastructure dimension as the main driver of the food system refers to transportation, water and energy supply, markets, storage warehouses, ports, slaughterhouses, and communication networks (mobile phone and internet). The results show that among the questions related to the driving innovation, technology and infrastructural sector, most of the rural households mentioned the limitation of access to cold storage for product storage and the lack of access to facilities and equipment related to cargo transportation. Considering the great potential of the agricultural sector of West Azarbaijan province, the need to provide basic solutions related to the improvement of infrastructure levels, especially in the field of cold storage facilities and cargo transportation equipment, is becoming increasingly apparent.

Political-economic stimulus: The factors introduced under the title of economic political stimulus affect all aspects of the food system from production to food demand. The results show that among the studied political and economic drivers among the rural households, two factors of limiting the access and benefit of the household due to the fluctuation of food prices and limiting the access due to the fluctuations of the food supply are among the most important factors in the formation of food insecurity among the rural households of the study area.Therefore, it is suggested that policies should be made in a way that leads to facilitating physical access, reducing price discrimination, increasing consumer purchasing power, reducing fluctuations related to the supply and price of food because rural households due to limited and unstable income sources can It has not been able to cope with the fluctuations that have occurred and this greatly affects the food insecurity situation of the household.

Socio-cultural stimulus: Although economic and income factors are the most important determinants of food security, cultural and social resources also play a role in allocating resources in the household, determining the food budget and the household's feeding pattern. In simpler words, a significant group of the society, while they have physical and economic access to food, but they show inappropriate food behaviors and choices, which in the analysis of the root of such food behaviors in the society, in addition to the share of food and income It seems necessary to pay attention to social and cultural factors such as the literacy level of the head and the social and cultural status of the family in general. The level of education and nutritional knowledge of the household, the employment status and the effect of time constraints on the choice of consumed food items were among the items that have a higher priority in the respondents' view of the influence of social and cultural stimuli in the formation of household food insecurity.

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Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 54, Issue 3
September 2023
Pages 643-661

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