Environmental and Sustainability Indicators (Dec 2022)
Development and validation of management assessment tools considering water, food, and energy security nexus at the farm level
Abstract
Given the role of the agricultural sector in consuming critical resources like water and energy, a balance should be achieved between the harvest and exploitation of these resources and the amount of agricultural produce by their proper management. Security measurement indicators are a criterion for managerial evaluating of farmers regarding water, food, and energy security nexus. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a tool for managerial evaluating of farmers as the best local facilitators regarding the water, food, and energy security nexus in two phases. The geographical scope of the research is Iran. The first phase was related to reviewing the previous literature and extracting indicators for measuring water, food, and energy security, and the second phase focused on validation. The face and content validity of the questionnaire were conducted quantitatively and qualitatively by surveying subject matter experts and calculating CVR and CVI. The results identified 85 indicators for the managerial evaluation of farmers in three areas of water security (30 indicators), food security (37 indicators), and energy security (18 indicators). The use of soil moisture control, pressurized irrigation (access dimension), groundwater resources (availability dimension), and salinity-resistant cultivars (stability dimension) were significantly valid in measuring water security. Achieving product direct sale marketing (access dimension), using early yielding cultivars (availability dimension), and producing organic products in farms and orchards and attention to the calendar and planting time in the production process (dimension of stability) were the highly valid indicators in food safety assessment. Moreover, the most valid indicators in the field of energy security measurement were energy consumed to produce and transport the product (accessibility dimension), use of geothermal energy resources (availability dimension), and bioenergy production rate (stability dimension). Challenges to achieving water, food, and energy security at the farm level can be minimized using the extracted indicators and correct management principles obtained from reviewing the indicators. Therefore, researchers, planners, decision-makers, and executives in agriculture and horticulture are recommended to use these indicators approved by subject matter experts.
