Empowering students to confront environmental injustice: Dialogue, theory, empathy, and partnership.

Many students find environmental justice to be emotionally overwhelming and/or politically alienating, and there is currently little work that provides instructors with effective techniques for addressing these types of challenges. In this paper, upon situating the environmental studies classroom and the broader undergraduate experience in sociohistorical context, we identify four sequential strategies for engaging and empowering students on environmental justice issues. First, instructors can facilitate an open and honest dialogue by strategically framing course content for the unique composition of the audience, sharing their own racialized experiences (or working with a guest speaker who would be willing to do so), and using interactive assignments to encourage student participation. Second, social theory can be presented to students as complimentary (rather than competing) ideas which can be used for creative, real-world problem solving. Third, instructors and students can cultivate empathy by acknowledging different standpoints, particularly those that have been historically marginalized. Lastly, by working in partnerships with community-based organizations, instructors and students can think and work beyond hero/savior and perpetrator/victim narratives. These strategies are not intended as a set of silver bullets, but rather as a series of potential starting points that are informed by recent scholarship on these topics.

Simulating Potential Associated Socio-Economic Determinants With Sustainable Food Security (A Macro-Micro Spatial Quantitative Model).

Improving sustainable food security status, nowadays, is an important challenge globally, especially in developing countries. The policy goal should be equity-everyone has the same opportunity to be food secure-rather than equality-everyone gets the same subsidy. Since the culture and socioeconomic status within a country vary from region to region, collapsing all areas into a unique region may introduce errors and inaccurate results, as most studies carried out. This study assesses the geographical pattern of association between food security and socioeconomic factors in urban areas in Iran using a nationally and regionally representative household consumption-expenditure survey from 2010 to 2018. The logistic regression model and big data are used to achieve this goal. The results show that a substantial number of households face food insecurity in urban areas in Iran. Also, different geographic regions have various salient factors that affect food insecurity. Aggregation tests confirmed that researchers should estimate separate models for different provinces, states, and districts to assess and monitor the food security status of a country instead of estimating a unique model for the whole of the country. Geographical disparities should be considered as an important issue before suggesting any catch-all policies for a country. The geo-locational factor of households is a key determinant of the association between socioeconomic factors and food security in urban areas in Iran. In sum, the practical suggestions for improving Iranian households' food security in urban areas are as follows: (1) Developing job opportunities for the head of household. (2) Enhancing the potential for self-employment. (3) Facilitating the study of children within households including providing inexpensive uniforms, books, and materials, especially for poor households. (4) Supporting young couples in terms of accessing to financial resources and providing inexpensive essential equipment of home for them; and (5) Introduction of the importance of dietary diversity and different foods which can be cooked by using these food ingredients within a household. Comparative case studies using similar methodologies can test if our results are generalizable.

Impact of Socio-Economic Factors on Nutrition Efficiency: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis.

Background: Paying particular attention to sustainable food consumption in low-income households is essential for increasing human health. Due to the growing population globally, this concept will likely become more serious soon. Methods: Following the importance of optimizing food consumption for sustainability, in this study, a novel methodology is introduced for calculating nutrient intake efficiency and determining choices of food in different locations. The impact of socio-economic factors on nutrition efficiency is assessed. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as a well-known linear programming (LP) and a Tobit model are used to achieve the goals. Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCESs) of 30,000 rural and urban Iranian households in all provinces in 2016 are analyzed. A Nutrient Efficiency Map (NEM) of Iran was depicted by GIS software. Results: The results showed that many townships had nutrient efficiency scores of less than 70%. Northeast townships had the lowest scores, with an efficiency score of less than 50%. Overall, townships have lower efficiency in the North (seaside cities), East (desert cities), and North East (isolated cities) when compared with other areas. Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggestible that the government should modify the support policies and the protection packages based on social, geographical, and cultural status.

The assessment of an extended set of socio-economic determinants to explain anxiety and uncertainty, insufficient quality and food intake of Afghan refugees.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, socio-economic factors associated with Afghan refugee households' food insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty, insufficient quality and food intake were determined. DESIGN: Household Food Insecurity Assess Scale measurement was applied to assess food insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty, insufficient quality and insufficient food intake. Descriptive analysis and multivariable regression models were used to determine the associated factors. SETTING: The study was carried out in urban areas of Tehran province in Iran. PARTICIPANTS: To collect data, interviews were conducted among 317 Afghan households. The questionnaire was administered via face-to-face interviews to either the breadwinner of the selected households or a member who could respond on behalf of the household. RESULTS: About 11·3 % of Afghan households who resettled in Tehran province were food secure, while 11·7 % were marginally, 40·7 % moderately and 36·3 % severely food insecure. Economic and financial factors were inversely and significantly associated with food insecurity. Employment, income, distance from the central market and personal saving were inversely associated with food insecurity, while other determinants, including the length of living time in Tehran, house type and the number of male and female children, had a direct association with food insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: The associations of socio-economic factors with three categories of food insecurity differed. Elimination of occupation bans that the Iranian government imposes on refugees provides simple access to financial supports like long-term loans, and opening a bank account for refugees will benefit both Iranians and refugees.

Determinants of household vulnerability to food insecurity during COVID-19 lockdown in a mid-term period in Iran.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify and rank the different aspects of households' vulnerability to food insecurity. DESIGN: The data were collected by a standard online questionnaire. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to assess food insecurity levels, and first-order structural equation modelling was applied to determine factors that affect food insecurity. Seven dimensions of vulnerability were measured: economic, social, cultural, human, physical, psychology and information, using thirty-seven items extracted from the related literature review. SETTING: This study was implemented in Tehran province in Iran. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 392 families residing in Tehran province which was determined using random sampling. RESULTS: About 61 % of the total sample faced food insecurity, at marginal, moderate and severe levels. Economic, psychological and human aspects of vulnerability had the highest effect on food insecurity during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: Authorities and policymakers must provide economic and financial support to vulnerable households. Abolition of US economic and financial sanctions imposed on Iran must be implemented to battle with COVID-19 in this country.

The short-term effects of COVID-19 outbreak on dietary diversity and food security status of Iranian households (A case study in Tehran province).

Currently, the COVID-19 outbreak is spreading fast in 185 countries and has engaged most people around the world. COVID-19 imposes severe and tragic consequences on people's health due to the high rate of spread and potentially fatal impacts. In this study, the association of socio-economic factors with food security and dietary diversity is assessed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from 299 respondents were collected by an online standard questionnaire. Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) were calculated. A multinomial regression model was applied to determine factors associated with HDDS and HFIAS before and during COVID-19 outbreak. Food security of Iranian households improved during the initial COVID-19 pandemic period (P < 0.001). Households reduced consumption of some food groups during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Key socio-economic factors associated with food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic included personal savings, household income, employment status of head of household, and nutrition knowledge of head of household. During the COVID-19 outbreak, household size, head of household's occupation, personal savings, and number of male children were significantly associated with dietary diversity. Distributing free food baskets to poor households, extending e-marketing, providing nutrition consultations, and organizing donations to support infected households may increase household dietary diversity and improve food security status during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Vulnerable populations in countries experiencing food insecurity, such as Iran, should be supported - not just by providing medical care and personal protective equipment, but also with flexible safety nets and food-based intervention programs to respond to population needs.

Spatial analysis of food security in Iran: associated factors and governmental support policies.

This study analyzes caloric intake in Iran as a proxy for food security to determine factors associated with caloric intake that could be impacted by policies. We modeled regional heterogeneity by analyzing a complete countrywide dataset disaggregated for rural intra-provincial areas using unique data from the Iranian Statistical Centre for 2007-2016. We applied logistic regression modeling and likelihood ratio tests to assess the association between socio-economic determinants and caloric intake among rural areas of all provinces. National policies (nation-wide food subsidies and a cash equivalent for food for each adult regardless of residence or income) had significant negative associations with caloric intake among all provinces. The detected spatial diversity suggests policies specific to each area could be more effective than a centralized national policy for food security. Rather than implementing one-size-fits-all policies, such as across-the-board cash food subsidies, the government should take a differential spatially targeted approach to directly support low-income households.