Evaluating the effects of sustainable food system drivers on food insecurity in rural households of West Azerbaijan Province

Challenges such as climate change, economic recession, urbanization, globalization and the scarcity and limitation of natural resources have put pressure on food systems and have turned food insecurity into one of the most important issues of the world today, which must be seriously considered. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the factors influencing the formation of food insecurity in rural households in the form of a food system approach. The main tool for measuring household food insecurity is the HFIAS standard questionnaire. The statistical population of this research is 304837 rural households of West Azerbaijan province. Using Cochran's formula, 482 households were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling as the statistical sample size. The results showed that 17% of rural households were in the food safe group and 83% of households experienced different degrees of food insecurity (mild, moderate and severe). Background variables of household head age, household size; Education level and average annual income had a significant relationship with household food insecurity. The partial least squares analysis (PLS) method was used to measure the impact of food system stimuli on household food insecurity. The results showed that in total, food system stimuli explain 65.5% of food insecurity changes. Considering the potential of the study area in the field of agricultural production, improving and upgrading infrastructure and transportation facilities in the field of technology and infrastructure, as well as reducing instability and instability in food access, including supply fluctuations and Food prices in the political-economic stimulus sector are suggested in order to reduce food insecurity among households in the study area.