Food security

Purpose- Food security (FS) is defined as sustainable access to safe and nutritious food for a healthy and active life. The present study was designed to investigate and determine FS status of rural households and the relevant influential factors. It was conducted on 432 rural households in six subdistricts of two districts of Sarpolzahab, West of Iran, in 2016. Design/methodology/approach- The samples were selected using random cluster sampling, and FS status was assessed using United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) household FS questionnaire. Therefore, both socio-economic questionnaire and the household FS questionnaire were completed during a face to face interview. Data were analyzed using the statistical software package SPSS-22. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and forward multiple logistic regression were used for data analysis. Findings- Prevalence of food insecurity (FI) in all of the surveyed households was 65.3%, and household FS status between the subdistricts had a significant difference (P< 0.01). The results of the study showed that the prevalence of FI in the subdistricts of Posht-Tang and Sarab (83.3% and 76.4%, respectively) was higher than other subdistricts. Number of household’s members, land ownership, education of household’s head, activity status, and household’s income had significantly relationship with household FI (P< 0.01). Practical implications- The high prevalence of FI is a major threat to the abnormal utilization of environmental resources in this realm. Therefore, given the impact of horticultural activities and diverse cultivation on household FS, macro and regional policies should be provided to increase the diversity of products through agroforestry and intercropping. Original/value- This research presents the basic information on the FS status of rural households in Sarpolzahab and some related socio-economic factors the results of which can help planners and managers to implement interventions to improve the FS and welfare of rural households.

Sanction is defined as the restrictions over economic activity imposed by one international actor. It is a foreign policy tool in the United States foreign policy. Three key terms discussed throughout the book are sanction, pain, and resolve of sanctioned country. In the nine chapters of the book, the author discussed the design, and implementation of economic sanctions. The main points raised in the review are: a one-sided account of the book. It is an account of the sanction sender’s perspective. The other side of sanctions is the humanitarian problem stemming from sanctions. Moreover, studies on the economic consequences of sanctions on Iran were briefly presented, which are ignored in analyzing the implementation of the sanctions. The literature includes reducing economic growth, increasing income inequality, intergenerational effects of sanctions, effect of sanctions on food security, and impact of sanctions on public health expenditures._x000D_ Sanction is defined as the restrictions over economic activity imposed by one international actor. It is a foreign policy tool in the United States foreign policy. Three key terms discussed throughout the book are sanction, pain, and resolve of sanctioned country. In the nine chapters of the book, the author discussed the design, and implementation of economic sanctions. The main points raised in the review are: a one-sided account of the book. It is an account of the sanction sender’s perspective. The other side of sanctions is the humanitarian problem stemming from sanctions. Moreover, studies on the economic consequences of sanctions on Iran were briefly presented, which are ignored in analyzing the implementation of the sanctions. The literature includes reducing economic growth, increasing income inequality, intergenerational effects of sanctions, effect of sanctions on food security, and impact of sanctions on public health expenditures.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of food price uncertainty on food security in Iranian householdsduring the period 1981-2018 in a nonlinear model. To estimate uncertainty, the Generalized Autoregressive Score Model, and to estimate the effect of food price uncertainty on food security, the Smooth Transition Autoregressive model has been used. The results show that food price uncertainty in the first regime (low level of investment in agriculture) has a negative and significant effect and in the second regime (high level of investment in agriculture) has a negative and non-significant effect on food security. In the first regime, where the level of investment in the agricultural sector is below the threshold, as food price fluctuations increase, market uncertainty increases and signals with less transparency to producers and consumers. Under these circumstances, consumers will face the problem of reduced purchasing power and insecurity in access to food, which has a negative impact on food security. While, in the second regime and increasing the level of investment in the agricultural sector, the negative effects of uncertainty on food security can be partially offset. According to the results of the present study, officials should take effective steps on one hand, by prioritizing the financing of investment in the agricultural sector and facilitating the conditions of activity of the private and cooperatives sector in this field like moving from traditional to industrial agriculture. On the other hand, to reduce the price gap, regulate the market demand of agricultural products, and create conditions for food price stability, create a kind of protection against short-term fluctuations and shocks.

Using appropriate policies to overcome food insecurity is one of the pillars of economic prosperity of countries. Economic decisions that change macroeconomic parameters can directly or indirectly affect food production and prices and affect food security. Therefore, achieving a clear understanding of how macroeconomic policies affect different dimensions of food security in the country can lead to providing solutions to improve the food security index. In this study, a framework of simultaneous equations is presented in order to investigate the relationship between monetary and financial policies with food production and prices in the country. In this regard, using the method of generalized moments, behavioral equations were estimated separately using the data of 1978-2018. The model was then implemented as a system of equations using the Gauss Seidel method. Different scenarios were simulated in this model to investigate the effects of changes in interest rates, money volume, and general government investment on various aspects of food security. The results indicated that government investment in the agriculture sector and public investment expenditures have a positive impact on food production through capital stock. Additionally, changes in interest rates have minimal effects on food production but significant negative effects on food prices. Overall, monetary policy decisions result in increased food prices alongside decreased food production due to the demand for money and private investment. Therefore, the implementation of these policies should be done more carefully in order to encourage farmers to increase production and therefore ensure food security for consumers.

Urban farms can have the potential to have a great impact on the stability of crowded cities. The purpose of the present study is discovering the effective design-based components in developing urban agriculture in the viewpoint of Tehran’s urban managers. It is assumed that the design-based development of urban agriculture improves economic conditions and also food security for Tehran’s citizens. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this research. In the qualitative section of the research, analysis of the influential factors was carried out. Then in order to assess the credibility of the obtained data and obtaining the opinions of the managers, the Delphi method was used. Afterwards, their opinions were gauged and categorized using Shannon’s Entropy. The statistical population in this study consisted of 71 city managers and the consultants on designing city spaces who had over 10 years of experience on the job. Quantitative analysis of the data was carried out using the SPSS 22 statistical software. The results showed that establishing and developing design-based urban farming could lead to elevated qualities of environment, food security and economic well-being more than any other factor.