Challenges of sustainable food security in Iran

The purpose of this research is to identify and prioritize the challenges of sustainable food security in Iran. The most important problem of the research is the lack of in-depth identification of sustainable food security challenges and their prioritization in Iran. The method of this research is qualitative method. This research has been conducted from June 2022 to April 2023 to provide a comprehensive, and applied model to understand the challenges through Grounded Theory (GT) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Khouzestan province, Iran. The data were collected by performing focus group and brain storming session with the 35 agricultural experts. Data analysis was done using MAXQDA12 software in three steps: open, axial and selective coding. The key results of this study by GT identified 34 initial codes and seven main challenges were categorized and prioritized using AHP technique were: low efficiency and weakness in developing appropriate consumption methods, lack of facility support and empowerment for the development of agricultural products, failure to monitor production diversity and proper cultivation pattern, little attention to the criteria of sustainable agricultural development in production, lack of attention to the development of transformation and complementary industries and the production of healthy products with a knowledge-based approach, unfavorable economic conditions for access and continued consumption of healthy food and lack of necessary export platforms and lack of monitoring of illegal imports. Finally, suitable recommendations were presented to overcome the existing challenges.