Volume 14, Issue 54 (Winter 2026)
serd 2026, 14(54): 77-92 |
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Mohammadi Y, Avatefi Akmal F. A Meta-Analysis of the Contribution of Agricultural Production to Food Security Among Rural Households. serd 2026; 14 (54) : 5
URL: http://serd.khu.ac.ir/article-1-4084-en.html
URL: http://serd.khu.ac.ir/article-1-4084-en.html
1- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran , y.mohammadi@basu.ac.ir
2- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
2- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
Abstract: (904 Views)
Objective: Food security is a major issue in sustainable development and in improving the quality of life of rural households. Agricultural production plays a crucial role in meeting nutritional needs and enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities. The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of agricultural production to food security in rural households using a meta-analytic approach based on data extracted from reputable scientific databases.
Methods: The statistical population included studies related to the role of agricultural production in food security among rural households published in scientific databases—SID, Ensani, Noormags, Magiran, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Scopus from 2000 to 2025. Based on the inclusion criteria, 27 studies were selected and analyzed using CMA2 software. In addition, VOSviewer was utilized to construct a thematic network and identify frequently used terms. Keywords were searched in international databases, and data from selected studies were stored in a CSV file for import into VOSviewer. A separate search was conducted for domestic sources, and their information was entered manually. Scientometric indicators were analyzed using VOSviewer. Due to heterogeneity in the data- identified through Q and I² indices- a random-effects model was selected.
Results: The thematic network analysis showed a meaningful relationship between agricultural production and food security in rural households. Begg and Mazumdar’s correlation test confirmed relative symmetry in the included studies, indicating an absence of publication bias. The overall effect size was estimated at 0.507, which, according to Cohen’s criteria, is considered high.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that increased agricultural productivity leads to long-term improvements in food security among rural households. The vocabulary network analysis also showed that food security is linked to dietary quality and diversity, as well as challenges such as climate change, poverty, and gender issues, highlighting the need for comprehensive and integrated approaches to address these concerns.
Methods: The statistical population included studies related to the role of agricultural production in food security among rural households published in scientific databases—SID, Ensani, Noormags, Magiran, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Scopus from 2000 to 2025. Based on the inclusion criteria, 27 studies were selected and analyzed using CMA2 software. In addition, VOSviewer was utilized to construct a thematic network and identify frequently used terms. Keywords were searched in international databases, and data from selected studies were stored in a CSV file for import into VOSviewer. A separate search was conducted for domestic sources, and their information was entered manually. Scientometric indicators were analyzed using VOSviewer. Due to heterogeneity in the data- identified through Q and I² indices- a random-effects model was selected.
Results: The thematic network analysis showed a meaningful relationship between agricultural production and food security in rural households. Begg and Mazumdar’s correlation test confirmed relative symmetry in the included studies, indicating an absence of publication bias. The overall effect size was estimated at 0.507, which, according to Cohen’s criteria, is considered high.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that increased agricultural productivity leads to long-term improvements in food security among rural households. The vocabulary network analysis also showed that food security is linked to dietary quality and diversity, as well as challenges such as climate change, poverty, and gender issues, highlighting the need for comprehensive and integrated approaches to address these concerns.
Article number: 5
Keywords: Food Security, Agricultural Productivity, Agricultural Production, Rural Households, Meta-Analysis
References
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3. Aghayari Hir, Mo., Asgharpour, H., & Bakhtar, S. (2024). Analysis of factors affecting food security in Tabriz city based on organic agriculture with a mixed approach. Geography and Planning. 28(89), 159-182. (in Persian)
4. Ahmadi, B., & Karami, R. (2025). Analysis of the effects of sustainable food system activities on food security of rural households in West Azerbaijan province. Green Development Management Studies, 3(1), 39-59. (in Persian)
5. Ahmed, U.I., Ying, L., Bashir, M.K., Abid, M., & Zulfiqar, F. (2017). Status and determinants of small farming households' food security and role of market access in enhancing food security in rural Pakistan. PloS one, 12(10), e0185466.
6. Bazrafshan, J., Tolabinejad, M., & Sadeghi, Kh. (2017). Analysis of the relationship between sustainable land management and agricultural product yield and its effects on food security of rural households. Rural Research, 8(2), 349-362. (in Persian)
7. Boserup, E. (1981). Population and Technology. Basil Blackwell.
8. Cheraghi, ., Tohidlo, Sh., & Nemati, M.R. (2023). Analysis of socio-economic factors affecting food security of nomadic households (case study: Zanjan city). Nomadic Territory Planning Studies, 3(1), 137-146. (in Persian)
9. Cirera, X., & Masset, E. (2010). Income distribution trends and future food demand. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365, 2821–2834.
10. Danso-Abbeam, G., Ogundeji, A.A., Asale, M.A., & Baiyegunhi, L.J. (2024). Effects of livestock ownership typology on household food security in rural Lesotho. GeoJournal, 89(2), 63.
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12. Ewunetu, A., Simane, B., & Abebe, G. (2023). Effect of integrated sustainable land management technologies on households’ food security in the North Gojjam sub-basin, Blue Nile River. Discover Sustainability, 4(1), 17.
13. Foley, J.A., DeFries, R., Asner, G.P., Barford, C., Bonan, G., Carpenter, S.R., Chapin, F.S., Coe, M.T., Daily, G.C., Gibbs, H.K., et al. (2005). Global consequences of land use. Science, 309, 570–574.
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18. Hazell, P., & Wood, S. (2008). Drivers of change in global agriculture. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 363, 495–515.
19. Ingutia, R., & Sumelius, J. (2022). Determinants of food security status with reference to women farmers in rural Kenya. Scientific African, 15, e01114.
20. Javadinejad, S., Dara, R., & Jafary, F. (2022). Creating a framework for coordination food security and sustainable management in agriculture lands and crop efficiency. Safety in Extreme Environments, 4(1), 1-11.
21. Judijanto, L., Machzumy, M., Rahayu, S., & Suryaningrum, D.A. (2023). The Effect of Climate Change and Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Productivity and Food Security in Rural Areas in East Java. West Science Interdisciplinary Studies, 1(12), 1461-1470.
22. Kafando, W.A., & Sakurai, T. (2024). Armed conflicts and household food insecurity: Effects and mechanisms. Agricultural Economics, 55(2), 313-328.
23. Malthus, T. R. (1798). An Essay on the Principle of Population, as It Affects the Future Improvement of Society. Printed for J. Johnson.
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25. Mekonnen, A., Tessema, A., Ganewo, Z., & Haile, A. (2021). Climate change impacts on household food security and farmers adaptation strategies. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 6, 100197.
26. Moradi, M., Shabanali Fami, H., & Asadi, A. (2019). The impact of agricultural water consumption management on food security of farmers' households in the family farming system: A case study of Kermanshah County. Agricultural Extension and Education Research, 12(4 (48th issue), 51-64. (in Persian)
27. Mujuru, N. M., & Obi, A. (2020). Effects of cultivated area on smallholder farm profits and food security in rural communities of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Sustainability, 12(8), 3272.
28. Pawlak, K., & Kołodziejczak, M. (2020). The role of agriculture in ensuring food security in developing countries: Considerations in the context of the problem of sustainable food production. Sustainability, 12(13), 5488.
29. Pervaiz, B., Li, N., & Manzoor, M. Q. (2019). Agricultural land use and food security in pakistan: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 29(5), 1402-1412.
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33. Razmavar, F., Abdeshahi, A., Savari, M., & Bayat, P. (2013) Food Security and Factors Affecting It in Rural Communities of Bushehr Province. Rural Research. 1(3), 444-467. (in Persian)
34. Reincke, K., Vilvert, E., Fasse, A., Graef, F., Sieber, S., & Lana, M. A. (2018). Key factors influencing food security of smallholder farmers in Tanzania and the role of cassava as a strategic crop. Food security, 10, 911-924.
35. Rezvani, Sh., Ahmadpour-Barazjani, M., Kaykha, A. & Kalbali, E. (2014). The Impact of Drought on Food Security of Rural Households in Sistan Region. Agricultural Economics. Published online on 10 February 2014. (in Persian)
36. Riptanti, E.W., Masyhuri, I., & Suryantini, A. (2022). The sustainability model of dryland farming in food-insecure regions: structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 17(7), 2033-2043.
37. Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S. III, Lambin, E. F., Lenton, T. M., Scheffer, M., Folke, C., Schellnhuber, H. J., et al. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461, 472–475.
38. Sanaei Moghadam, S., Shafiee, M.R., Jahantigpour, A., & Mohammadi Yeganeh, B. (2017). The Role of Rural-Urban Links in Food Security of Rural Households (Case Study: Poshte Zeilai Village, Dehdasht County). Environmental Science Studies. 2(4), 556-570. (in Persian)
39. Sarkar, A., Azim, J.A., Al Asif, A., Qian, L., & Peau, A.K. (2021). Structural equation modeling for indicators of sustainable agriculture: Prospective of a developing country’s agriculture. Land use policy, 109, 105638.
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41. Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Anchor Books.
42. Shpak, N., Matviyishyn, Y., Dziurakh, Y., & Gvozd, M. (2024). Simulation of the Impact of Changes in the Volume of Production and Export of Products on the Food Security of the Country: On the Example of Ukraine. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1361625.
43. Tayebnia, S.H. & Izadi, A. (2024). An analysis of the role of creative agriculture in the sustainability of food security of rural households (case study: villages in Rashtkhar County). Rural Development Strategies. Published online on 23 August 2024. (in Persian)
44. Tesfaye, B., Lengoiboni, M., Zevenbergen, J., & Simane, B. (2023). A Holistic Analysis of Food Security Situation of Households Engaged in Land Certification and Sustainable Land Management Programs: South Wello, Ethiopia. Foods, 12(18), 3341.
45. Tolabinejad, M., Tolabinejad, M. & Tabatabaei, S.A. (2017). Farmers' adaptation to climate change and its role in the food security of rural households in Pol-e Dokhtar County. Natural Environment Hazards. 6(13), 67-90. (in Persian)
46. Usman, M., Ali, A., Bashir, M.K., Mushtaq, K., Ghafoor, A., Amjad, F., ... & Baig, S.A. (2023). Pathway analysis of food security by employing climate change, water, and agriculture nexus in Pakistan: partial least square structural equation modeling. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(38), 88577-88597.
47. Woudneh, A.F. (2025). Causal pathways from sustainable practices to economic stability through food security: An SEM approach.
48. Zou, B., & Mishra, A.K. (2024). Modernizing smallholder agriculture and achieving food security: An exploration in machinery services and labor reallocation in China. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46(4), 1662-1691.
49. Abu, G. A., & Soom, A. (2016). Analysis of factors affecting food security in rural and urban farming households of Benue State, Nigeria. International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), 4(1), 55-68.
50. Adepoju, A.A., Sanusi, W.A., & Toromade Adekunle, S. (2018). Factors influencing food security among maize-based farmers in southwestern Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Agricultural Sciences, 5(4), 2348-3997.
51. Aghayari Hir, Mo., Asgharpour, H., & Bakhtar, S. (2024). Analysis of factors affecting food security in Tabriz city based on organic agriculture with a mixed approach. Geography and Planning. 28(89), 159-182. (in Persian)
52. Ahmadi, B., & Karami, R. (2025). Analysis of the effects of sustainable food system activities on food security of rural households in West Azerbaijan province. Green Development Management Studies, 3(1), 39-59. (in Persian)
53. Ahmed, U.I., Ying, L., Bashir, M.K., Abid, M., & Zulfiqar, F. (2017). Status and determinants of small farming households' food security and role of market access in enhancing food security in rural Pakistan. PloS one, 12(10), e0185466.
54. Bazrafshan, J., Tolabinejad, M., & Sadeghi, Kh. (2017). Analysis of the relationship between sustainable land management and agricultural product yield and its effects on food security of rural households. Rural Research, 8(2), 349-362. (in Persian)
55. Boserup, E. (1981). Population and Technology. Basil Blackwell.
56. Cheraghi, ., Tohidlo, Sh., & Nemati, M.R. (2023). Analysis of socio-economic factors affecting food security of nomadic households (case study: Zanjan city). Nomadic Territory Planning Studies, 3(1), 137-146. (in Persian)
57. Cirera, X., & Masset, E. (2010). Income distribution trends and future food demand. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365, 2821–2834.
58. Danso-Abbeam, G., Ogundeji, A.A., Asale, M.A., & Baiyegunhi, L.J. (2024). Effects of livestock ownership typology on household food security in rural Lesotho. GeoJournal, 89(2), 63.
59. Dowd, D. (2009). Inequality and the Global Economic Crisis. Pluto Press.
60. Ewunetu, A., Simane, B., & Abebe, G. (2023). Effect of integrated sustainable land management technologies on households’ food security in the North Gojjam sub-basin, Blue Nile River. Discover Sustainability, 4(1), 17.
61. Foley, J.A., DeFries, R., Asner, G.P., Barford, C., Bonan, G., Carpenter, S.R., Chapin, F.S., Coe, M.T., Daily, G.C., Gibbs, H.K., et al. (2005). Global consequences of land use. Science, 309, 570–574.
62. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2020). Suite of Food Security Indicators. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FS
63. Foster, P., & Leathers, H.D. (1999). The World Food Problem: Tackling the Causes of Undernutrition in the Third World (3rd ed.). Lynne Rienner Publishers.
64. Geist, H.J., & Lambin, E.F. (2002). Proximate causes and underlying driving forces of tropical deforestation. BioScience, 52, 143–150.
65. Hashmiu, I., Adams, F., Etuah, S., & Quaye, J. (2024). Food-cash crop diversification and farm household welfare in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana. Food Security, 16(2), 487-509.
66. Hazell, P., & Wood, S. (2008). Drivers of change in global agriculture. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 363, 495–515.
67. Ingutia, R., & Sumelius, J. (2022). Determinants of food security status with reference to women farmers in rural Kenya. Scientific African, 15, e01114.
68. Javadinejad, S., Dara, R., & Jafary, F. (2022). Creating a framework for coordination food security and sustainable management in agriculture lands and crop efficiency. Safety in Extreme Environments, 4(1), 1-11.
69. Judijanto, L., Machzumy, M., Rahayu, S., & Suryaningrum, D.A. (2023). The Effect of Climate Change and Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Productivity and Food Security in Rural Areas in East Java. West Science Interdisciplinary Studies, 1(12), 1461-1470.
70. Kafando, W.A., & Sakurai, T. (2024). Armed conflicts and household food insecurity: Effects and mechanisms. Agricultural Economics, 55(2), 313-328.
71. Malthus, T. R. (1798). An Essay on the Principle of Population, as It Affects the Future Improvement of Society. Printed for J. Johnson.
72. Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and Personality (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley.
73. Mekonnen, A., Tessema, A., Ganewo, Z., & Haile, A. (2021). Climate change impacts on household food security and farmers adaptation strategies. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 6, 100197.
74. Moradi, M., Shabanali Fami, H., & Asadi, A. (2019). The impact of agricultural water consumption management on food security of farmers' households in the family farming system: A case study of Kermanshah County. Agricultural Extension and Education Research, 12(4 (48th issue), 51-64. (in Persian)
75. Mujuru, N. M., & Obi, A. (2020). Effects of cultivated area on smallholder farm profits and food security in rural communities of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Sustainability, 12(8), 3272.
76. Pawlak, K., & Kołodziejczak, M. (2020). The role of agriculture in ensuring food security in developing countries: Considerations in the context of the problem of sustainable food production. Sustainability, 12(13), 5488.
77. Pervaiz, B., Li, N., & Manzoor, M. Q. (2019). Agricultural land use and food security in pakistan: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 29(5), 1402-1412.
78. Poleman, T.T. (1981). Quantifying the nutrition situation in developing countries. Food Research Institute Studies, 18, 1–58.
79. Progress in Nutrition. (2010). In 6th Report on the World Nutrition Situation; The United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition. Geneva, Switzerland.
80. Rask, K.J., & Rask, N. (2011). Economic development and food production-consumption balance: A growing global challenge. Food Policy, 36, 186–196.
81. Razmavar, F., Abdeshahi, A., Savari, M., & Bayat, P. (2013) Food Security and Factors Affecting It in Rural Communities of Bushehr Province. Rural Research. 1(3), 444-467. (in Persian)
82. Reincke, K., Vilvert, E., Fasse, A., Graef, F., Sieber, S., & Lana, M. A. (2018). Key factors influencing food security of smallholder farmers in Tanzania and the role of cassava as a strategic crop. Food security, 10, 911-924.
83. Rezvani, Sh., Ahmadpour-Barazjani, M., Kaykha, A. & Kalbali, E. (2014). The Impact of Drought on Food Security of Rural Households in Sistan Region. Agricultural Economics. Published online on 10 February 2014. (in Persian)
84. Riptanti, E.W., Masyhuri, I., & Suryantini, A. (2022). The sustainability model of dryland farming in food-insecure regions: structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 17(7), 2033-2043.
85. Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S. III, Lambin, E. F., Lenton, T. M., Scheffer, M., Folke, C., Schellnhuber, H. J., et al. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461, 472–475.
86. Sanaei Moghadam, S., Shafiee, M.R., Jahantigpour, A., & Mohammadi Yeganeh, B. (2017). The Role of Rural-Urban Links in Food Security of Rural Households (Case Study: Poshte Zeilai Village, Dehdasht County). Environmental Science Studies. 2(4), 556-570. (in Persian)
87. Sarkar, A., Azim, J.A., Al Asif, A., Qian, L., & Peau, A.K. (2021). Structural equation modeling for indicators of sustainable agriculture: Prospective of a developing country’s agriculture. Land use policy, 109, 105638.
88. Savari, M, Noshad, M. (2022). Factors affecting the improvement of food security of rural households (case study of villages in Hendijan County). Journal of Agricultural Production and Marketing Economics. 1(1), 41-54. (in Persian)
89. Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Anchor Books.
90. Shpak, N., Matviyishyn, Y., Dziurakh, Y., & Gvozd, M. (2024). Simulation of the Impact of Changes in the Volume of Production and Export of Products on the Food Security of the Country: On the Example of Ukraine. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8, 1361625.
91. Tayebnia, S.H. & Izadi, A. (2024). An analysis of the role of creative agriculture in the sustainability of food security of rural households (case study: villages in Rashtkhar County). Rural Development Strategies. Published online on 23 August 2024. (in Persian)
92. Tesfaye, B., Lengoiboni, M., Zevenbergen, J., & Simane, B. (2023). A Holistic Analysis of Food Security Situation of Households Engaged in Land Certification and Sustainable Land Management Programs: South Wello, Ethiopia. Foods, 12(18), 3341.
93. Tolabinejad, M., Tolabinejad, M. & Tabatabaei, S.A. (2017). Farmers' adaptation to climate change and its role in the food security of rural households in Pol-e Dokhtar County. Natural Environment Hazards. 6(13), 67-90. (in Persian)
94. Usman, M., Ali, A., Bashir, M.K., Mushtaq, K., Ghafoor, A., Amjad, F., ... & Baig, S.A. (2023). Pathway analysis of food security by employing climate change, water, and agriculture nexus in Pakistan: partial least square structural equation modeling. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(38), 88577-88597.
95. Woudneh, A.F. (2025). Causal pathways from sustainable practices to economic stability through food security: An SEM approach.
96. Zou, B., & Mishra, A.K. (2024). Modernizing smallholder agriculture and achieving food security: An exploration in machinery services and labor reallocation in China. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 46(4), 1662-1691.
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