Mapping Food Security and Financial Inclusion in Rural Areas

ABSTRACT This study examines the spatial co‐existence of rural food security and financial inclusion in earthquake‐affected regions of Türkiye to identify spatial vulnerability patterns and support geographically targeted rural development policies. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, the study conceptualizes financial inclusion as a key component of financial capital that contributes to sustainable rural livelihoods and food security. Primary data were collected through face‐to‐face surveys with 815 agricultural enterprises located in the rural districts of Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya. Multidimensional food security and financial inclusion indices were constructed using objective survey‐based indicators, and spatial dependence was examined using Global Moran's I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA). The findings indicate that rural food security is generally at a moderate level, whereas financial inclusion remains relatively low, particularly in Kahramanmaraş and Malatya, while Gaziantep exhibits comparatively higher financial inclusion. Spatial analyses reveal significant spatial dependence and clustering for both indices, with food security displaying negative spatial autocorrelation and financial inclusion exhibiting localized high–low and low–high clustering patterns. These findings suggest that spatial disparities in financial inclusion and food security are geographically interconnected rather than randomly distributed. The study contributes to the literature by integrating farmer‐level multidimensional indices with spatial analytical techniques to identify rural vulnerability hotspots and by demonstrating the relevance of the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework for interpreting spatial inequalities in disaster‐affected rural regions. The findings provide practical guidance for geographically targeted policies aimed at strengthening rural financial inclusion, agricultural resilience, and food security.