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Showing 2 results for Food Security
Marzieh Keshavarz,
Volume 9, Issue 34 (2-2021)
Volume 9, Issue 34 (2-2021)
Abstract
Introduction
For decades, various policy initiatives have been planned to achieve food security. However, the number of malnourished people is growing, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Due to the increase of extreme weather events, such as droughts, and significant depletion of water resources, achieving food security is not an easy task. Therefore, an investigation of rural households’ food security in drought prone areas is of great concern. On the other hand, it has been estimated that at least one third of the produced food would be wasted and half of the food waste originates at household level. However, considerable gaps exist in our understanding of how drought incidents affect the food waste management behaviors of farm families. Thus, addressing the factors influencing household’ food waste reduction efforts is crucial.
Methodology
In order to investigate food security and food waste control pattern of the farm families under drought a survey study was implemented on eastern regions of Fars province (i.e. Kherameh County). Kherameh has suffered from 9 continuous years of meteorological and hydrological droughts. Farm families of Kherameh County were the target population. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of families who suffered from drought. The formula of Scheaffer et al. (2012) was used to determine the sample size (n= 219). Food security questionnaire which was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture was applied to investigate food security of farm families under drought. Also, household-level food waste questionnaire (van Harpen et al., 2016) was used to assess food waste behaviors of farm families during drought. Moreover, a questionnaire was developed to explore the main determinants of food security and food waste control under drought. Its face validity was confirmed by panel of experts. A pilot study was also conducted to evaluate the instrument.
Result and discussion
The findings revealed four different food security groups including 1) food secure (24.6%), 2) food insecure without hunger (22.9%), 3) food insecure with moderate hunger (23.7%) and 4) food insecure with extreme hunger (28.8%). The regression analysis was conducted to determine drivers of food security under drought. The results indicated that the specified variables explained 62% of the total variance in food security. The standardized regression coefficients illustrated that income was the main predictor of farm families’ food security. Families with higher income loss had more problems ensuring food security than the smaller ones. The results indicated that crop yield played an important role in determining food security. It suggested that farm families who experienced crop yield loss consumed lower amounts of food than usual. On the basis of the findings, food prices had a significant effect on food security of farm families. This implies that the cost of food was the major constraint and the majority of food insecure families had to lessen their food quantity and quality at a survival level. The results revealed that employment ratio, water scarcity and financial capital had important influences on food security, too.
The findings illustrated that drought stimulated food waste control. So that, food insecure families with moderate and extreme hunger had significantly reduced their food wastes. Moreover, food waste was significantly related to bread, rice, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. This is while dairy and meat products’ waste were negligible. Analysis of the Bayesian network and partial least squares (PLS) path model illustrated that attitude exerted the maximum influence on the food waste control. Previous studies confirmed a positive effect of attitude on the food waste control behavior. The results revealed that income was negatively associated with food waste control behavior. Farm families who attempted to develop off-farm income sources and those who earned more money from agriculture were less likely to reduce food waste. Moreover, food waste control of farm families was significantly influenced by perceived food accessibility. This implies that higher access to food supply centers reduces the probability of food waste management. Also, findings illustrated that perceived food quality was associated with food waste control behavior. This shows that food quality was believed to be effective in reducing the food wastes. The results revealed that water scarcity, food prices and knowledge were associated with food waste control behavior, too. Overall, the model explained 34% of the variance in food waste control.
To ensure food security and minimize food waste under drought conditions, development of climate smart agriculture that allow increasing food production while using fewer water resources, promoting drought-risk reduction solutions and knowledge and information systems, and enhancing social, financial and human capitals are imperative.
For decades, various policy initiatives have been planned to achieve food security. However, the number of malnourished people is growing, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Due to the increase of extreme weather events, such as droughts, and significant depletion of water resources, achieving food security is not an easy task. Therefore, an investigation of rural households’ food security in drought prone areas is of great concern. On the other hand, it has been estimated that at least one third of the produced food would be wasted and half of the food waste originates at household level. However, considerable gaps exist in our understanding of how drought incidents affect the food waste management behaviors of farm families. Thus, addressing the factors influencing household’ food waste reduction efforts is crucial.
Methodology
In order to investigate food security and food waste control pattern of the farm families under drought a survey study was implemented on eastern regions of Fars province (i.e. Kherameh County). Kherameh has suffered from 9 continuous years of meteorological and hydrological droughts. Farm families of Kherameh County were the target population. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of families who suffered from drought. The formula of Scheaffer et al. (2012) was used to determine the sample size (n= 219). Food security questionnaire which was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture was applied to investigate food security of farm families under drought. Also, household-level food waste questionnaire (van Harpen et al., 2016) was used to assess food waste behaviors of farm families during drought. Moreover, a questionnaire was developed to explore the main determinants of food security and food waste control under drought. Its face validity was confirmed by panel of experts. A pilot study was also conducted to evaluate the instrument.
Result and discussion
The findings revealed four different food security groups including 1) food secure (24.6%), 2) food insecure without hunger (22.9%), 3) food insecure with moderate hunger (23.7%) and 4) food insecure with extreme hunger (28.8%). The regression analysis was conducted to determine drivers of food security under drought. The results indicated that the specified variables explained 62% of the total variance in food security. The standardized regression coefficients illustrated that income was the main predictor of farm families’ food security. Families with higher income loss had more problems ensuring food security than the smaller ones. The results indicated that crop yield played an important role in determining food security. It suggested that farm families who experienced crop yield loss consumed lower amounts of food than usual. On the basis of the findings, food prices had a significant effect on food security of farm families. This implies that the cost of food was the major constraint and the majority of food insecure families had to lessen their food quantity and quality at a survival level. The results revealed that employment ratio, water scarcity and financial capital had important influences on food security, too.
The findings illustrated that drought stimulated food waste control. So that, food insecure families with moderate and extreme hunger had significantly reduced their food wastes. Moreover, food waste was significantly related to bread, rice, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. This is while dairy and meat products’ waste were negligible. Analysis of the Bayesian network and partial least squares (PLS) path model illustrated that attitude exerted the maximum influence on the food waste control. Previous studies confirmed a positive effect of attitude on the food waste control behavior. The results revealed that income was negatively associated with food waste control behavior. Farm families who attempted to develop off-farm income sources and those who earned more money from agriculture were less likely to reduce food waste. Moreover, food waste control of farm families was significantly influenced by perceived food accessibility. This implies that higher access to food supply centers reduces the probability of food waste management. Also, findings illustrated that perceived food quality was associated with food waste control behavior. This shows that food quality was believed to be effective in reducing the food wastes. The results revealed that water scarcity, food prices and knowledge were associated with food waste control behavior, too. Overall, the model explained 34% of the variance in food waste control.
To ensure food security and minimize food waste under drought conditions, development of climate smart agriculture that allow increasing food production while using fewer water resources, promoting drought-risk reduction solutions and knowledge and information systems, and enhancing social, financial and human capitals are imperative.
Mehdi Cheraghi,
Volume 11, Issue 39 (5-2022)
Volume 11, Issue 39 (5-2022)
Abstract
Introduction
One of the topics related to food insecurity coping strategies is recognizing the effective factors for choosing strategies to deal with household food insecurity. Recognition of these factors is essential for planning to reduce the negative effects of food insecurity among rural households. Preliminary studies show that food security in the villages of Halab District, Ijrud County is at a low level, which includes reasons such as distance from food shopping centers, poor infrastructure, health, education and welfare facilities, low employment rate, low income level. However, in the study area, rural areas have suitable natural, economic and social resources and substrates for achieving sustainable rural development. The present study investigated the food insecurity situation of households in Halab District of Ijroud County, and then analyzed the effective factors in choosing strategies to combat food insecurity. Following questions are investigated: 1. What is the most important nutritional strategy of the households in the studied villages to deal with food insecurity? 2. What is the most important non-food strategy of the households in the studied villages to deal with food insecurity? 3. What is the most effective factor in applying strategies to combat food insecurity in the study area?
Methodology
The present research is an applied and descriptive-analytical study . Data were collected by using library and field method (questionnaire). The statistical population of the present study is households living in Halab, Ijroud County of Zanjan Province. This section has 29 inhabited villages with a population of 5183 people and 1715 families in the 2016 census. 380 households completed the questionnaire in the households of the studied villages, which was determined using the Cochran's formula. A simple systematic and random method was used for the sample selection. To assess the food security of rural households, the household food insecurity scale method was used, which consisted of 18 questions and to assess food and non-food strategy, 12 indicators was applied. In order to group the food security status of the families with children, the questions and standard grouping of the US Department of Agriculture have been used. Hackman's model was also used to investigate the factors influencing the selection of effective strategies in combating food insecurity. The Hackmann two-stage model was proposed in 1979. This model is designed to eliminate the error in selecting the sample or population under study. In the present study, Hackman's model identifies the variables with their intensity of impact for the implementation of food insecurity coping strategies in the study area.
Discussion and conclusion
Findings related to food security classification of the studied households show that 49.41% of households have food security, 31.76% of households have food insecurity without hunger, 10.59% of households have food insecurity with moderate hunger and 8.24% of households have severe food insecurity with hunger. Descriptive findings related to food strategies to combat food insecurity among the rural households studied show that the highest mean is related to the strategy of consuming cheap food and the lowest average is related to the strategy of a full day without food. The results of the model show that with a 99% probability the factors of age, number of household members, type of housing quality and percentage of income from the agricultural sector are effective in applying food strategies to combat food insecurity in the study area. Furthermore, for non-food strategies, the results of the Hackman model can confirm with a 99% confidence level that the factors of age, spouse education, number of household members, number of sons, number of people with university education, head job, spouse job, sub-job, income, irrigated lands, garden lands, having livestock, number of visits to the city during the week, vehicle, receiving bank credits, percentage of income from the industrial sector, percentage of income from the agricultural sector and percentage of income from the service sector are the most effective factors on the application of strategies to combat food insecurity.
One of the topics related to food insecurity coping strategies is recognizing the effective factors for choosing strategies to deal with household food insecurity. Recognition of these factors is essential for planning to reduce the negative effects of food insecurity among rural households. Preliminary studies show that food security in the villages of Halab District, Ijrud County is at a low level, which includes reasons such as distance from food shopping centers, poor infrastructure, health, education and welfare facilities, low employment rate, low income level. However, in the study area, rural areas have suitable natural, economic and social resources and substrates for achieving sustainable rural development. The present study investigated the food insecurity situation of households in Halab District of Ijroud County, and then analyzed the effective factors in choosing strategies to combat food insecurity. Following questions are investigated: 1. What is the most important nutritional strategy of the households in the studied villages to deal with food insecurity? 2. What is the most important non-food strategy of the households in the studied villages to deal with food insecurity? 3. What is the most effective factor in applying strategies to combat food insecurity in the study area?
Methodology
The present research is an applied and descriptive-analytical study . Data were collected by using library and field method (questionnaire). The statistical population of the present study is households living in Halab, Ijroud County of Zanjan Province. This section has 29 inhabited villages with a population of 5183 people and 1715 families in the 2016 census. 380 households completed the questionnaire in the households of the studied villages, which was determined using the Cochran's formula. A simple systematic and random method was used for the sample selection. To assess the food security of rural households, the household food insecurity scale method was used, which consisted of 18 questions and to assess food and non-food strategy, 12 indicators was applied. In order to group the food security status of the families with children, the questions and standard grouping of the US Department of Agriculture have been used. Hackman's model was also used to investigate the factors influencing the selection of effective strategies in combating food insecurity. The Hackmann two-stage model was proposed in 1979. This model is designed to eliminate the error in selecting the sample or population under study. In the present study, Hackman's model identifies the variables with their intensity of impact for the implementation of food insecurity coping strategies in the study area.
Discussion and conclusion
Findings related to food security classification of the studied households show that 49.41% of households have food security, 31.76% of households have food insecurity without hunger, 10.59% of households have food insecurity with moderate hunger and 8.24% of households have severe food insecurity with hunger. Descriptive findings related to food strategies to combat food insecurity among the rural households studied show that the highest mean is related to the strategy of consuming cheap food and the lowest average is related to the strategy of a full day without food. The results of the model show that with a 99% probability the factors of age, number of household members, type of housing quality and percentage of income from the agricultural sector are effective in applying food strategies to combat food insecurity in the study area. Furthermore, for non-food strategies, the results of the Hackman model can confirm with a 99% confidence level that the factors of age, spouse education, number of household members, number of sons, number of people with university education, head job, spouse job, sub-job, income, irrigated lands, garden lands, having livestock, number of visits to the city during the week, vehicle, receiving bank credits, percentage of income from the industrial sector, percentage of income from the agricultural sector and percentage of income from the service sector are the most effective factors on the application of strategies to combat food insecurity.
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