Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas

Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas

Spatial analysis of food security components of rural households in Kermanshah

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
samaneh sanjabi 1
Kiumars Zarafshani 2
Hossein Shabanali Fami 3
Farzad Amiri 4
Ali Asghar Mirkzadeh 5
Saeed Pourmasoumi Langrudi 6
1 PhD student, agricultural extension and education, faculty of agriculture, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
2 Prof., Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
3 Prof., Rural Promotion and Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4 Assistant Prof., Department of Industrial Engineering; Faculty of Engineering Management, University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran.
5 Associate Prof., Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
6 Associate Prof., System Dynamics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
10.22034/gsma.2024.2034179.1008
Abstract
Introduction

Studies show that the increase in the rate of chronic food insecurity is one of the most widespread problems that humanity is facing in recent years, to the point where FAO reports that more than 735 million people are facing hunger and food insecurity. Therefore, reducing and eliminating food insecurity is one of the essential goals of sustainable development. In Iran, the three-year average prevalence of food insecurity indicates the existence of moderate and severe conditions of food insecurity, that is, about 40.8 percent of the total population. The importance and necessity of paying attention to food security and its evaluation and monitoring has attracted the attention of many researchers in the world. In the meantime, some of them drew a map of food security and insecurity and its spatial distribution in order to improve the food security conditions of the regions and make effective use of the available resources. In general, hunger and food insecurity are among the global social problems that create great challenges for policymakers and local governments. Therefore, in the present study, we seek to draw a map and spatial analysis of food security conditions in the study area, which will open the way for appropriate planning and policy making. In this research, an attempt has been made to analyze the spatial level of food security of rural households in Kermanshah using existing theoretical foundations and multi-criteria decision-making techniques.
 

Methodology

This research is a type of descriptive-analytical study, the data of which was obtained by using library and field methods. The data collection tool in the access dimension is using a standard and researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed based on the opinion of experts and faculty members specializing in food security. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.79 in the access dimension, and 0.70 in the two dimensions of availability and access, indicating the reliability of the data collection tool. The statistical population of the present study was the rural households of Kermanshah city, with the benefit of the stratified sampling method with proportional assignment and Gpower sample size determination software with an effect size of 0.15 and an error level of 0.05, a number of 239 rural households in 5 parts of the city were studied. In order to stratify the parts of the study area based on food security and the purpose of the research, Vikor's multi-criteria decision-making technique was used. In order to analyze the data, SPSS and Excel software were used and ArcGIS software was used to draw a map of the food security components of the studied parts.
 

Results

The present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating and ranking the food security situation of rural households in Kermanshah. In this study, the average age of the respondents was 49 years. The results of prioritization of the combined index of food security have been reported and the existence of a range difference of 0.61 indicates the existence of differences and imbalances in food security in different parts of the city. Therefore, Central and Mahidasht districts were placed in the relatively food secure group and Kuzran and Firozabad districts were placed in the relatively food insecure group.
 

Discussion

The results of other studies also indicate the existence of polarity in the conditions of food security in the regions. Research has shown that many factors affect food security, including urbanization, resource consumption, and climate change. Therefore, paying attention to geographical and topographical differences, production sources, access to the city center, and many other factors can reduce food security. The existing gap and the balanced improvement of food security in different sectors should be effective. In this research, the analyzed statistical sample had different personal and economic characteristics, which, along with geographical location and policies, etc., can be among the reasons for the existence and occurrence of food insecurity. For example, in the present study, 33% of heads of rural households were women. Paying attention to gender and its impact on food security can be useful because other studies confirm that when women's share of land ownership increases, the budget allocated to food also increases.

Conclusion

The results of Vikor technique show a huge gap and distance between the first sector and other sectors, and it indicates a kind of disconnection and imbalance in the city's food security. So that Central and Mahidasht districts are in the relatively food secure group, Bilawar district is in the moderate food security group, and Kuzran and Firozabad districts have the weakest performance in terms of the indicators examined in this study, or in other words, they are in the relatively food insecure group.
Keywords
Food security
Food insecurity
Vikor technique
Spatial analysis
Rural household
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Journal of Geographical Studies of Mountainous Areas
Volume 5, Issue 3 - Serial Number 19
Autumn
Autumn 2024
Pages 1-16