The principles of this comparison scale are shown in Table 1 [ 29 ]. According to the results obtained and the findings of previous researches of experts, and based on the designed questionnaire, they identified weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats Table 2.
Twenty-two factors were identified as internal and external factors. At this stage of the research, the identified internal and external factors were prioritized by hierarchical analysis method Table 3. Based on the findings of this section, the weaknesses were identified as the most effective factor compared to other factors with an importance coefficient of 0.
The threats were identified as the next effective factor, with an importance coefficient of 0. These results indicate that the weaknesses and threats are more important in the current challenges of Iran compared to the strengths and the opportunities, leading Iran to the more defensive or more conservative strategies. Due to the higher coefficient of importance of weaknesses in comparison to threats, it is necessary to pay more attention to internal factors in the agricultural sector and mechanization of Iran rather than external factors.
Prioritizing the sub-factors based on internal and external factors was the next step in this study. At this stage, sub-factors were prioritized in four groups and were compared to other sub-factors Table 4. The weaknesses SWOT factor has the most importance among internal and external factors, and the most important sub-factor is the lack of proper distribution and the heterogeneous amount of machinery and technology to the agricultural sector.
The importance coefficient of this sub-factor is estimated at 0. This suggests that despite the high agricultural mechanization coefficient in Iran, distribution of machinery in this country has not been done properly. Also, many new technologies in the agricultural sector have not been properly utilized. The second weakness, which earns the second rank, with an importance coefficient of 0.
The disproportion size of agricultural land and existing agricultural machinery is identified as the second most important sub-factor. After the land reforms at the time of the former regime in Iran, the division of agricultural land has been one of the issues that policymakers point to as a barrier to Iranian agricultural development.
This problem however can be resolved by planning and subsequent distribution of machinery, appropriate to the demand. The gradual growth of the agricultural sector, in comparison with other economic sectors of the country, has been ranked third, with an importance coefficient of 0.
In recent years, development of the various economic sectors of Iran has not been coordinated. The agricultural sector and the industrial sector did not have significant development and have a small share of gross domestic product. The two following sub-factors are related to the amount of waste, as well as the contribution of mechanization to reducing this amount.
Given the role that mechanization plays in different stages of production, it can have an effective contribution to reducing agricultural waste. The statistics in Iran however, indicate low correlation between mechanization and reduction of agricultural waste.
The use of amortized machines, lack of scheduled plans and lack of attention to timeliness costs are among the reasons for this low correlation. Statistics show that the amount of agricultural and food waste in Iran is very high. Correct management of agricultural mechanization can play an important role in reducing waste and, consequently, in achieving food security. Threats, after weaknesses, rank second in terms of importance Table 3.
Among the sub-factors in this group, water bankruptcy, with an importance coefficient of 0. Iran has been in crisis for many years and today the crisis has exceeded the warning threshold. The continuation of this process is a threat not only to the agriculture of Iran, but also to its civilization. After the water crisis, the High cost of ownership for beneficiaries is in the second place, while the high cost of exchange rates in the economy of Iran is in the third place.
These sub-factors both will ultimately lead to a low level of investment in the agricultural sector. This factor, with an importance coefficient of 0. Dependence on fossil fuels, urbanization and development of the service sector and declining trend of manufacturing sectors are among the following sub-factors. The third factor is the Strengths, with an importance coefficient of 0.
In terms of importance of the sub-factors, the ability of cultivating strategic products in many parts of the country, with an importance coefficient of 0. The growing capacity of the country mechanization is ranked second, and the sub-factor of the significant correlation between mechanization capacity index and increase in wheat production is ranked third.
The two following sub-factors are related to energy indicators. Increasing trend and moving toward increasing and improving energy indicators, with an importance coefficient of 0.
The increasing trend of energy indicators on one hand and the dependence of production on these indicators on the other indicate that Iran should maintain the status quo and try to improve these indicators.
In the ranking of opportunities sub-factors in Iran, major factories of agricultural machinery production in the country and the history of decades of manufacturing and exporting machinery, with an importance coefficient of 0. Iran is a country with four seasons throughout the year. This feature provides a decent opportunity for policymakers to have more options to manage the food market in the country.
The large number of graduates in agricultural, with an importance coefficient of 0. The large number of graduates gives Iran the opportunity to make its agriculture more scientific, as an example, Iran can take steps in the field of biotechnology and seed improvement. The possibility of modifying seeds and using biotechnology in production is in the fourth place.
This sub-factor is reinforced with the help of the former sub-factor, the large number of experts in Iran. The last sub-factor is the suitable market for exporting to countries of the region, which Iran can plan for it as an appropriate opportunity.
After studying internal and external factors, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and their ranking, finally, according to the political, economic, social and environmental structure of the country, eight final strategies were proposed by the experts Table 5. At first, each of the eight strategies was ranked based on the sub-factors Table 6 and finally they ranked accordingly Table 7. According to Table 7 , Injecting proper financial investment into the agricultural sector, with an importance coefficient of 0.
Low development of this sector over the years and lack of interest in investing in it is alarming. As such policymakers should prioritize strategies to strengthen this sector and support it.
Earlier, FAO, in a report reviewing the state of agricultural mechanization in African countries [ 12 ], presented strategies to achieve lasting effects, such as political will and commitment at the highest possible level, allocating funds to the agricultural sector and providing appropriate loans to small farmers.
These proposals were presented by FAO, due to the weakness of the private sector and the lack of government intervention agricultural investment and commerce, which seems to be in line with the situation in Iran. The severe water crisis in Iran, or in other words, bankruptcy of water, has put the country in a difficult position.
According to this situation, Iran must not only take more water-efficiency measures, but must also reform its cultivation pattern based on the need for water for agricultural products and available water resources. Producing or importing agricultural machinery and new technologies, according to their suitability with the conditions of the country, along with strengthening of the supply chain and maintenance service is ranked third with an importance coefficient of 0.
The need for investment in the supply chain of machinery as a short-term solution, along with technical training and proper management for businesses and service and maintenance, are among the suggestions of researchers [ 26 ].
Considering the relative advantages of producing and planning for development of food and international trade is ranked third with an importance coefficient of 0. Food security is one of the responsibilities of the government of each country. One of the most important dimensions of food security is food availability.
The government is required to distribute a decent number of calories in the country based on the nutritional needs of its population. This amount of energy will be supplied either through domestic production or through imports. According to this strategy, it is recommended that Iran, to establish this dimension of food security, considers the relative advantages of production as its agenda. If a product or several products have no comparative advantage in production, instead of spending resources for its production, the country should strengthen its international trade by importing the needed products and avoid the problem of this dimension of food security, and at the same time, use its resources appropriately to maximize productivity in production.
The next strategy is investing in agricultural research and development and the use of biotechnology and its new knowledge. This strategy ranked with an importance coefficient of 0. Due to the limitation of arable land in Iran, the country must move toward increasing productivity per unit area.
New technologies and biotechnology are among the things that make this possible for each country and for this reason, Iran should invest in agricultural research and development. Seed modification, genetic modification, etc. Researchers believe that the development of food security is possible through the development and promotion of technology.
These achievements are mainly attributed to increased use of crop improvement methods. These results highlight the role of improved methods for promoting agricultural productivity among small farmers [ 21 ]. Researchers are also strategizing with emphasis on technology transfer and planning for the development of agricultural mechanization. It is suggested that the first step is to remove the obstacles that mechanization faces including the fact that small farmers do not have the financial ability to move to mechanized cultivation require government support.
The government support at the executive and legislative levels, supporting academic education, providing appropriate technology and services, and moving toward the assembly and production of agricultural machinery are among these proposals [ 20 ]. The emphasizing on research and development, the selection and transferring appropriate technologies for the region, optimal use of energy resources, increasing the number of machinery, training, providing loans to farmers, as well as providing tax rebates are among the proposed policies in this area [ 2 ].
Modifying consumption pattern by replacing high-yield products in the household basket is the sixth ranked strategy that is related to the dimension of food utilization.
Modifying this pattern requires long-term cultural and social planning. Dietary habits in Iran are not only rooted in different cultures in this country, but also closely related to religious beliefs. To achieve this, various government and community-based organizations, such as the media, social networks and NGOs, can play a significant role. Employing graduates directly in the agricultural sector, with a 0.
Iran has a large number of agricultural graduates and has a major need for agriculture production based on science and technology, which has been addressed in previous strategies. The government can, with proper planning, use this potential to develop its agricultural sector and move toward reducing unemployment.
Energy management, moving toward clean energies and improving energy indicators, is the last strategy with an importance coefficient of 0. Considering the abundant oil and gas resources of Iran, there seems to be less interest in moving toward such energies in the country. In the next step, these factors were prioritized, with weaknesses and threats having the highest score in prioritizing by hierarchical analysis method.
To achieve sustainable food security, with regards to the identified factors and considering the opportunities and strengths of Iran, with the future in mind, the necessary strategies were presented in this paper.
Strategies are classified in the category of defensive policies with respect to the importance coefficients of weaknesses and threats compared to the other factors. Food security and food sovereignty in the middle east. Washington, DC: Georgetown University; Google Scholar. Ahmad T. Agricultural mechanization research and development in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Akinbamowo RO. A review of government policy on agricultural mechanization in Nigeria. J Agric Ext Rural Dev. Can insects increase food security in developing countries? An analysis of Kenyan consumer preferences and demand for cricket flour buns.
Food Secur. Article Google Scholar. Mechanization covers all levels of farming and processing technologies, from simple and basic hand tools to more sophisticated and motorized equipment. It extends far beyond ploughing and can contribute to productivity gains and new jobs in the post-harvest, processing and marketing stages of local and global food systems.
As things stand, two-thirds of the power used to prepare sub-Saharan African land for farming is provided by human muscle.
Comparable rates are 30 percent for South Asia and even lower for Latin America. FAO emphasizes that harvesting the fruit of productivity-boosting mechanization in sub-Saharan Africa depends on making available and accessible appropriate means of farm power supply. This ranges from draught animals to two-wheel and four-wheel tractors. There is a wide variety of agricultural equipment for precision seeding with minimum soil disturbance, efficient planting and transplanting of seedlings, application of inputs, harvesting and transport, processing and value addition that cover the mechanization spectrum.
It is therefore important to assure adequate land tenure and credit systems to encourage investments in mechanization. Sustainable crop production intensification includes soil protection, ample cover crops and minimal tillage - all key principles of FAO's ecosystem-based "Save and Grow" paradigm and directly supporting the Sustainable Development Agenda, especially SDG2 to "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture".
According to Josef Kienzle, FAO expert and key author of the report, mechanization allows smallholders both to intensify and expand agricultural production as well as enabling some family members to seek off-farm jobs and incomes.
The United States government helped businesses by instituting tariffs—taxes on foreign goods—so that products like steel made by U. Cheaper steel prices encouraged the development of infrastructure such as railroads and bridges during the American Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution created an increase in employment opportunities.
Wages at factories were higher than what individuals were making as farmers. As factories became widespread, additional managers and employees were required to operate them, increasing the supply of jobs and overall wages. Since most of the factories and large companies were located near the cities, populations migrated to urban areas searching for jobs, often overwhelming the available housing supply.
This led to significant improvements in city planning. Increased innovation also led to higher levels of motivation and education, resulting in several groundbreaking inventions still used today.
These inventions include the sewing machine, X-ray, lightbulb, calculator, and anesthesia. Due to the Industrial Revolution's advancements, the nation saw the first combustible engine, incandescent light bulb, and modern assembly line used in manufacturing.
The Industrial Revolution changed how people worked, the technologies available to them, and often where they lived. It made life comfortable for many though living conditions for workers remained abhorrent, which eventually fueled the rise of labor unions that led to improved working conditions and fair wages. Although there were numerous advancements during the Industrial Revolution, rapid progress caused many issues.
As workers left their farms to work in factories for higher wages, it led to a shortage of food being produced. The sharp increase in the number of factories led to an increase in urban pollution. Pollution wasn't contained only in the factories; as people flocked to the cities, the living conditions became deplorable as the urban resources were overwhelmed. Sewage flowed in the streets in some cities while manufacturers dumped waste from factories into rivers. Water supplies were not tested and protected as they are today.
As a result, regulations, and laws were enacted to protect the population. The Industrial Revolution provided an incentive to increase profits, and as a result, working conditions in factories deteriorated. Long hours, inadequate remuneration, and minimal breaks became the norm. Child labor was a significant issue. Health issues arose for many of the factory workers giving rise to the labor movement throughout the U.
The first cotton mill was built after Samuel Slater brought Britain's manufacturing technology to the United States. The mill was powered by water bringing jobs and commerce to the Northeast. In the following years, many factories and mills were built using the same technologies.
The Industrial Revolution was primarily driven by the use of coal as an energy source. Before the use of coal, wood was the primary energy source; coal provided three times more energy than wood, and Britain had large coal deposits. In , the first transcontinental railroad was completed and was a major accomplishment for the U.
Also, during the American Industrial Revolution, Samuel Morse created the telegraph, which sent electric signals over a wire allowing the nation to communicate. Andrew Carnegie built the first steel mills in the U. The Industrial Revolution shifted from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy where products were no longer made solely by hand but by machines.
This led to increased production and efficiency, lower prices, more goods, improved wages, and migration from rural areas to urban areas. The first Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the mid-to-late s, when innovation led to goods being produced in large quantities due to machine manufacturing.
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