Simulating Potential Associated Socio-Economic Determinants With Sustainable Food Security (A Macro-Micro Spatial Quantitative Model)

Abstract

Improving sustainable food security status, nowadays, is an important challenge globally, especially in developing countries. The policy goal should be equity—everyone has the same opportunity to be food secure—rather than equality—everyone gets the same subsidy. Since the culture and socioeconomic status within a country vary from region to region, collapsing all areas into a unique region may introduce errors and inaccurate results, as most studies carried out. This study assesses the geographical pattern of association between food security and socioeconomic factors in urban areas in Iran using a nationally and regionally representative household consumption-expenditure survey from 2010 to 2018. The logistic regression model and big data are used to achieve this goal. The results show that a substantial number of households face food insecurity in urban areas in Iran. Also, different geographic regions have various salient factors that affect food insecurity. Aggregation tests confirmed that researchers should estimate separate models for different provinces, states, and districts to assess and monitor the food security status of a country instead of estimating a unique model for the whole of the country. Geographical disparities should be considered as an important issue before suggesting any catch-all policies for a country. The geo-locational factor of households is a key determinant of the association between socioeconomic factors and food security in urban areas in Iran. In sum, the practical suggestions for improving Iranian households' food security in urban areas are as follows: (1) Developing job opportunities for the head of household. (2) Enhancing the potential for self-employment. (3) Facilitating the study of children within households including providing inexpensive uniforms, books, and materials, especially for poor households. (4) Supporting young couples in terms of accessing to financial resources and providing inexpensive essential equipment of home for them; and (5) Introduction of the importance of dietary diversity and different foods which can be cooked by using these food ingredients within a household. Comparative case studies using similar methodologies can test if our results are generalizable.

Sociodemographic Factors and Policy Implications for Improved Food Security

“…Demographic and socioeconomic variables play pivotal roles in determining household food security, offering invaluable insights to decision-makers in formulating pragmatic solutions to tackle this issue (Lujabe et al, 2022). Furthermore, distinct geographic regions harbor unique determinants of food insecurity (Pakravan-Charvadeh et al, 2022). Therefore, it is imperative to conduct regional assessments of household food security, such as in East Kalimantan, to identify the key socio-demographic factors influencing food security.…”

“…The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) comprises eight items contributing to global food insecurity monitoring indicators, facilitating the assessment of food security status at a country or regional level (Cafiero et al, 2018). While national-level studies on household food security and sociodemographic characteristics have been conducted (Amrullah et al, 2019;Lujabe et al, 2022;Obayelu et al, 2021;Smith et al, 2017), there is a need for increased detailed research at the regional level (Pakravan-Charvadeh et al, 2022). Indonesia, being a vast archipelago with diverse geography, culture, and economic disparities across its regions, requires tailored approaches.…”

“…Multiple studies have shown that various factors are crucial in determining household food security, including the geographic location of the household (Ali et al, 2016;Ganpule et al, 2023), type of occupation (Antara et al, 2023;Ogundari, 2017), age and gender of the head of the household (Ogundari, 2017;Omidvar et al, 2019), their education level (Amrullah et al, 2019;Smith et al, 2017), family size (Lujabe et al, 2022), marital status (Grimaccia & Naccarato, 2019), and ownership of assets such as houses (Pakravan-Charvadeh et al, 2022;Saint Ville A et al, 2022), land (Naipunu & Kadir, 2023), and social security (Sutikno & Budiasih, 2022). Utilizing these factors in the analysis of regional-level data is essential for a better understanding of food security statistics at the regional level in Indonesia.…”

Household food insecurity and associated factors in the Northeast of Iran: a cross-sectional study

“…Identifying these hot points can help local authorities take appropriate and accurate measures to address food insecurity in the province. The location of households is a crucial factor determining the socio-economic factors and food security relations in urban areas of Iran [39]. Government and food insecurity-related institutions can promote and support community-based interventions in these areas.…”

Assessing the association of sustainable agriculture with rural household food security (considering ecological, economic, and social aspects)

“…According to the 1996 World Food Summit, “Food security exists when all people have physical and economic access at all times to adequate, safe and nutritious food that meets the nutritional needs and nutritional preferences for an active and healthy life”. High food insecurity and providing enough foods for all people has increased the work of policymakers and administrations globally to support more sustainable agriculture in the world ( 5 ). The first political operationalization at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in 1992 was postulated: Everyone has the right to a decent life ( 11 ).…”