Enhancing the Sustainability of Household Food Basket: Operational Models and Policy Programs to Improve Food Security and Prevent Environmental Crises in the Country; [ارتقاء پایداری سبد غذایی خانوار: الگوهای عملیاتی و برنامههای سیاستی جهت بهبود امنیت غذایی و پیشگیری از بحرانهای زیستمحیطی در کشور] Publisher



Shahrdami F ; Haghighian Roudsari A ; Sobhani R ; Mohammadi Nasrabadi F ; Lida Shams L
Source: Iranian Journal of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology Published:2026

Abstract

Objective: The instability of food systems and the misalignment of supportive policies with sustainability criteria have posed serious challenges to food security and environmental resources in Iran. Evidence indicates that current food systems contribute substantially to the intensification of climate change and the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases. This policy brief was conducted with the aim of promoting the sustainability of household food baskets and identifying operational models and policy programs to improve food security. Materials and Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic review of national and international studies and qualitative analysis of interviews with 21 key stakeholders selected through snowball sampling. The study explored the barriers and challenges related to the implementation of food baskets, as well as strategies for achieving a sustainable food basket. Findings: Severe inflation has led households to replace a “healthy food basket” with a “survival basket.” Moreover, the continued emphasis on self-sufficiency policies without considering climatic capacities, along with the lack of modern technologies and the high volume of food waste, has resulted in severe resource depletion. To address this crisis, a prioritized policy package is proposed, including the incorporation of items aligned with sustainable indigenous food baskets into the electronic coupon program, the establishment of provincial expert teams to adapt food baskets to the climate and cropping patterns of each region, the imposition of taxes on unhealthy and processed foods to subsidize nutritious and sustainable food items, and finally, the implementation of community-based educational programs aimed at reducing household food waste and revitalizing indigenous foods. Conclusion: To prevent environmental crises and improve food security, key policymakers must urgently shift the current fragmented system toward an “integrated and intelligent intersectoral management” approach. Continuing the current short-term perspective will result in irreversible damage to public health and environmental sustainability. © 2026, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute. All rights reserved.