Assessing the Relationship between Food Insecurity and Agricultural Sustainability (Case Study: Rural areas of Gorgan County)

Abstract

Introduction: Since the 2009 Earth Summit, the importance of sustainability in order to protect the environment, cropping systems and food security has been emphasized as part of sustainability. In this regard, the present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between food insecurity and agricultural sustainability in Gorgan County in the 2019-2020 year. Materials and Method: Data was collected based on two types of questionnaires of farmers and specialists (for weighting criteria and sub-criteria of sustainability). The coping strategy index was used to measure food security and analytical hierarchy process was used to measure agricultural sustainability. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between food insecurity and agricultural sustainability.Results and discussion: Based on the aggregated sustainability criterion, North Esterabad with a weight of 0.236 was selected as the most sustainable village. Ghorogh, Roshanabad, Anjirab and South Esterabad villages with weights of 0.199, 0.197, 0.195 and 0.173 are in the next priorities. According to the environmental criterion, South Esterabad with a score of 0.216, according to the economic criterion, North Esterabad with a score of 0.249 and according to the social criteria, Roshanabad with a score of 0.204 had the highest level of sustainability. Also, according to the coping strategy index, 14 households (4.67%) had food security, 211 households (70.33%) had poor food insecurity, 54 households (18%) had moderate food insecurity and 21 households (7 %) Experience severe food insecurity. There is also a strong negative correlation between food insecurity and overall, economic and environmental sustainability. Suggestion: Given the importance of agricultural sustainability in improving food security, it is suggested that policymakers design and implement policies in order to improve economics, social and environmental sustainability that have negative effects on food insecurity.