Information and communication technologies (ICT) represent an important strategy that can be used in ... nutritious food is a basic component of development.
J. Dairying, Foods & H.S., 29 (3/4) : 210 - 215, 2010
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE
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ROLE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES(ICT) IN IMPROVING FOOD UTILIZATION OF IRANIAN RURAL HOUSEHOLDS F. Lashgarara*, S.M. Mirdamadi and S.J. Farajollah Hosseni Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
ABSTRACT Information and communication technologies (ICT) represent an important strategy that can be used in attaining sufficient, safe and nutritious food security. The main purpose of this research, performed in 2006-2007, was to identify the effectiveness of ICT in improving the food utilization of rural Iranian households. The results showed that, according to the experts’ point of view, the situation of food utilization in rural Iranian households was unsuitable, but that ICT could play an important role in improving the food utilization. The results of stepwise regressions showed that informing rural people about food, improving making decision, improving the power of acquiring individual infor mation, rural literacy, facilitators and content of old technologies were determined to account for 73% of the variance of the food utilization of rural Iranian households.
Key words : ICT, Food utilization, Iranian rural households.
INTRODUCTION Access to desirable, sufficient, safe and nutritious food is a basic component of development and health of a society. Thus, when developing country goals and priorities, food security is of utmost importance. Most observers of rural development believe that, currently, the necessary condition for obtaining food security is information. Knowledge and information are important factors to ensure food security and ICTs have the ability to present the information required for improving food security (Van Crowder and Forteir, 2000). According to the definition determined by the World Food Summit (1996), Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life (Temu and Msuya, 2004). Food security can be summarized according to three factors: food availability, food accessibility and food utilization. Food availability is achieved when a sufficient amount of food is constantly available for all members of society. Food accessibility is obtained when households and individuals have sufficient sources to consume a suitable diet (Bakhtiari and Haghi, 2003). Food utilization refers to suitable biological uses of food that depend on a household knowledge of techniques for storing and processing food and basic principles of nutrition and caring for children (Sustainable Development Department, 2006). Different strategies exist for obtaining food security; the use of information and communications technology is one of these strategies. ICTs consist of various collections
*Corresponding author: Department of agricultural extension, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Ashrafi Esfahani Blvd, Pounak sq., Postal code 1477893855, Tehran, Iran
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of resources and technical tools that are used for connecting, spreading, storing and managing information (Pigato,204). In general, ICTs can be classified into three groups: new ICTs, old ICTs and very old ICTs (Obayelu and Oyunlade, 2006). In recent years for ensuring food security in Iran, different programs have been carried out (Ministry of Hygiene, Remedy and Medical Education, 2004). Using ICT for improvement food security of rural households can be an important option. The main purpose of this research was the identification of the effective capabilities of ICTs for
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improving the food utilization of rural Iranian households. The following objectives were compiled: 1. 2. 3.
The study of the personal and professional characteristics of extension experts The study of situation of food utilization in Iranian rural households The examination of the role of ICTs in improving food utilization of Iranian rural households.
MATERIAL AND METHODS The methodology of this research was descriptive, and it was carried out as a survey. The instrument that was used for data collection was a questionnaire. The research independent variables ICT capabilities in improving food security:
ICT tool s in improving food s ec urity:
- Increasing production of agricultural products
-The accessibility of very new, old and very old technologies
- Providing information about food
- Cost – effectiveness of very new, old and very old technologies
- Improving rural and farmers’ power of management
- Present content according to needs of very new, old and very old technologies
- Helping to ensure agricultural inputs
Improving Food utilization
- Providing information about the planting and harvesting of agricultural products - Improving agricultural product marketing
Impl ications of us ing ICTs t o improve food utiliz ation:
- Improving decision – making
- Facilitators/ trainers
- Representing educational – sanitary services
Literate rural populations -
- Decreasing costs
- Presentation of appropriate information
- Creating job - Informing farmers about market policies
- The use of appropriate ICTs - Clientele-oriented programs
- Transferring technologies and new methods
- Investments in ICTs
- Improving interactions and communications
- Technical-informational infrastructure - Capacity-building of local community
- Facilitating the acquisition knowledge - Consideration to clientele needs
Figure 1 : The theoretical framework of research.
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consisted of ICT capability in improving food utilization, ICT tools, implications of the use of ICTs for improving food utilization (as you see in figure 1) and personal characteristics of extension experts. The dependent variable was the experts’ point of view about food utilization. The statistical research personnel consisted of 253 extension experts from agricultural organizations in eight provinces of Iran: Qom, Ilam, Kerman, Semnan, Qazvin, Kordistan, Tehran and Lorestan. The required research sample size was also calculated to be 170 people by using the Cochran formula in Table 1 (Neuman, 2000). To analyze the collective data, the software SPSS 13 was used. For descriptive statistics, mean, median, and mode and inferential statistics methods such as correlation and regression analysis were used. RE SULTS A ND D ISCUSSION T he st u dy o f p e rs o na l a n d te c hn i c a l c harac teristic s of extensio n experts : The results of this research showed that 131 of the experts were men (77.1%) and 39 persons were women (22.9%). The most of the respondents were of agricultural extension (36%). Most of the experts were working in Tehran (27.67%). Of all the experts, 116 experts (68.2%) had a Bachelor’s degree, and 53 persons (31.2%) had Master’s degrees. Most respondents (41.8%) had 12 – 17 years of job experience; the mean was 12 years, and the values ranged from 1 to 29 years. The study of situation of food utilization of Iranian rural households : The results of the research indicated that most of the respondents (73.5. %) believed that the situation of food
utilization of Iranian rural households is unsuitable (Table 2). The study rol e of ICTs in impro ving food utilization of Iranian rural households : The results shown in Table 3 indicate that most respondents (36.5%) believe that ICT could play an important role in improving food utilization of rural Iranian households. According to the results shown in Table 4, providing information about food, improving decision-making, improving individual power of acquiring knowledge, facilitators, literacy rural and content of old technologies had a positive and significant relationship at the 99% level and, delivering health-educational services, considering to clientele needs, community capacity building, informing rural about ICTs and access to old technologies had a positive and significant relationship at the 95% level with improving the food utilization of rural households. Table 1 : Number of chosen agricultural extension experts on selected provinces. Province
Total number
Number of
of experts
chosen experts
Qom
21
14
Ilam
24
16
Kerman
32
21
Semnan
33
22
Qazvin
18
12
Kordestan
32
21
Tehran
67
47
Lorestan
26
17
253
170
Total
Table 2 : Agricultural expert’s point of view about food utilization of Iranian rural households (n=170). Situation Very unsuitable( 1 – 10 )
Frequency
Percent
Cumulative percent
1
0.6
0.6
Unsuitable ( 11 – 21 )
125
73.5
74.1
Medium ( 22 – 32 )
24
14.1
88.2
Suitable ( 33 – 43 )
20
11.8
100
Median: 27
Mode: 24
Mean: 23
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Table 3 : The role of ICTs in improving the food utilization of Iranian rural households. Role
Frequency
Percent
Little
15
8.8
Cumulative percent 8.8
Medium
60
35.3
44.1
Much
62
36.5
80.6
Very much
33
19.4
100
Table 4 : Pearson correlation coefficient between research variables and improving food utilization. Variables
r
p
Providing information about food
**
0.327
0.000
Improving decision-making
**
0.291
0.001
Delivering health-educational services
*
Improving individual power of acquiring knowledge
**
0.111
0.04
0.243
0.002
Clientele-oriented programs
*
Facilitators
**
0.193
0.000
Rural literacy
**
0.211
0.000
0.106
0.03
Community capacity building
*
0.96
0.02
Informing rural about food
*
0.84
0.01
Access to old technologies
*
0.76
0.03
0.138
0.000
**
Content of old technologies * = P
