Effects of small-scale farmers' adaptation behaviors in drought conditions on household food security level in West Azerbaijan province

Abstract

This study was conducted with the general purpose of the effects of adaptation behaviors of small-scale farmers in drought conditions on the level of household food security. The statistical population of the study included all small-scale farmers in West Azerbaijan province. The sample size was estimated using Krejcie and Morgan table of 430 small-scale rural household heads. The main research tool was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data analysis was performed by SPSS19 software. The results showed that the rural households studied did not have adequate food security in drought conditions. In addition, factor analysis classified adaptation behaviors into three categories: active adaptation strategies, self-control, and integration. The results of ordinal regression also showed that adaptation classes have positive and significant effects on improving food security of rural households.

Keywords

• food security
• adaptation behaviors
• drought conditions
• small-scale farmers
• west azerbaijan