Designing Urban Food Insecurity Atlas with an Emphasis on Role of Consumer Behavior in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

2 Department of Agriculture, Environmental Sciences Research Center, Islamshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr, Iran

3 Department of Agricultural Economics, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.

10.22059/ijaedr.2024.361411.669231

Abstract

All countries consider food security to be an important development objective, and reducing food insecurity is seen as a crucial political goal for all people. One of the ways to study food insecurity is using indirect measures such as consumption behavior. This article examines the concept of urban household food insecurity in Alborz province of Iran and depicts the findings of food insecurity indicators. Household food insecurity scale, household hunger scale and coping strategies were used to obtain information. In a statistical population (1000 households) random classification method among the cities of the province, data were extracted by means of standard questionnaires and in the field. The dispersion coefficient ranking method was used to investigate the difference in food insecurity in the cities of Alborz province. In the next step, the level of food insecurity in all defined indicators was drawn using remote sensing technique and conventional color spectrum. What was obtained from these classifications showed that in the difference of prevalence estimates, firstly, the statistical population is different in food insecurity indicators. Secondly, each indicator has a different sensitivity range of food insecurity severity and these ranges do not overlap. Third, the classification of the prevalence of food insecurity depends very much on the selected spatial and temporal cut-off. Based on this, it is not possible to estimate food insecurity using a unique accepted standard measure. Accordingly, it is recommended to use more than one indicator. In addition, the use of images to show this information facilitates the accuracy, disaggregation and correct interpretation of the information.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Extended Abstract

Introduction

Nutrient deficiencies may increase the risk of malnutrition, leading to some conditions such as iron deficiency anemia or growth retardation. Based on the studies, iron deficiency leads to functional disorders in occupational performance, behavior and intellectual development, and resistance to infections.

A household's total wealth level, level of education, home ownership, household size and composition, ethnicity and race, age, and some other behaviors of urban life such as diets, planned physical activities, and access and proximity to grocery stores are expected to affect the ability of the family to withstand sudden changes in prices, income, or unforeseen events which create the need for additional spending, that these can affect food insecurity rates directly and indirectly.

The present study seeks to analyze the food insecurity indicators and general socio-economic factors of the obstacles in households, draw a map of food insecurity in Alborz province, provide a quantitative estimate of the relationship between income poverty and food insecurity, that it was advanced, and facilitate the visual understanding of the relationship between indirect and direct actions of them.

 

Method and Material

To achieve the aim of the survey study, micro-level data in Alborz province (number of households =2712400; the samples of households in random sampling:1000) with wide ethnic and cultural/economic diversity were evaluated. The data were extracted from house-by-house urban household surveys that contained information on food insecurity including continuous assessment of individuals' food consumption in the form of the CSI, HHS, and HFIAS food insecurity indices standard checklists, which were divided into four categories including; food secure (0-2), mildly insecure (3-12), moderately insecure (13-40), and severely insecure >400), along with assessing the individual, hygienic/health, and socioeconomic effects. To analyze extracted data utilized Spss software version 26. The next step was to depict a map of food insecurity at the level of families in this province. Drawing a colored map resulting from a 10-color spectrum and then the Heat Map for the classification of indicators among cities. To design maps were utilized Arc map software, which is among the most useful and essential subsets of Arc GIS.

 

Result

Analyzing the relationship between FSI criteria and the creation of food insecurity and existing regionalizations, as well as the relationship between the characteristics of utility and access to food and risk of food insecurity indicates a risk of poverty followed by food insecurity although Iran is a relatively prosperous country.

There appears to be a lack of public food resources in some of the most food-insecure places. Lower population density decreases the quantity and quality of retail food sources and the availability of public food program sites. Expanding retail food sales centers and applying economic incentives and support credits results in increasing the level of purchasing or providing a wider range of food (two concepts of access and availability) in the cities of Alborz province.

However, identifying the highest risk of food insecurity for a city does not necessarily mean that all of its residents fail to have access to food. In fact, a large number of deprived cities are located near or adjacent to towns with multiple public and private food sources. Here, access to transportation plays a significant role.

 

Discussion

Having corresponding relationships between food insecurity indicators and other dimensions of urbanization leads to optimal and appropriate decision-making in the field of food insecurity. One of the problems of data analysis due to many changes in these indicators is the correct summarization of information. Also, the big data existence, the lack of correct separation of the information, relevant and usable interpretation of the information, and decision-making based on them are complex, and the lack of skills, the decision error probability is increased.

In order to have the power of resolution and significance and to simplify images compared to numbers, it is possible to present meaningful information in a visual form by combining maps and graphs, and graphs of food insecurity indicators. Different regions are mapped on the cities. This type of display can lead to a correct and quick understanding of the distribution of indicators by combining the information from images and data extracted from approved questionnaires.

This research showed as a feasibility issue that in the future, by creating a set of visual information, the design of the food insecurity atlas, which is an urgent need of the world community, can be accessed as a specialized tool in the decision-making in the field of agriculture and food security. found, also to reconsider the decisions of the upstream areas regarding the investigation of the factors causing food insecurity in the specified areas.

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Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 55, Issue 3
October 2024
Pages 507-533

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