The Role of Smallholder Farmers in Ensuring National Food Security from the Perspective of Experts at the Agricultural Jihad of Basht County: Application of Grounded Theory

Subject Areas : Resistance Economy, Food, and Agriculture

Mohammadsadeq Qolipour ^{1 *} , Mehdi Nooripoor ²

1 - Department of Rural Development Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasuj University, Yasuj, Iran
2 - Department of Rural Development Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasuj University, Yasuj, Iran

Received: 2025-07-23 Accepted : 2025-09-01 Published : 2025-09-22

Keywords: Smallholder farmers, Food sustainability, agricultural experts, grounded theory,

Abstract :

One of the main pathways to achieving sustainable food and nutrition security is reliance on local production of nutritious food a path in which smallholder farmers play a pivotal role. Given the limitations of this group and the scarcity of previous studies, the present research was conducted with the aim of examining the role of smallholder farmers in food production and food security from the perspective of agricultural experts in Basht County. The research method was based on a grounded theory strategy with a qualitative and inductive approach. Sampling was carried out purposefully and then through snowballing, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 experts. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached, and the data were analyzed in three stages: open coding (48 codes), axial coding (16 codes), and selective coding. To ensure validity and reliability, triangulation, participant review, consultation with professors, and careful documentation of research procedures were applied. In the final analysis, “smallholder farmers” were identified as the core phenomenon. Influential causal conditions included government and media support, women’s empowerment and participation, relative access to mechanization, the importance of land and farming as a profession, consumer health, and the use of agricultural knowledge and experience. The findings revealed that smallholder farmers are the backbone of the nation’s food security, and strengthening them is essential for the sustainability of production. Experts emphasized the necessity of multidimensional support, including financial facilities, development of training and extension services, expansion of technology and innovation, and improvement of market systems. Only under such conditions can the key role of these units in food production and food security be consolidated and expanded.

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