The consequences of COVID-19 on the economy and agriculture have raised many concerns about global food security, especially in developing countries. Given that food security is a critical component that is affected by global crises, beside the limited studies carried out on the macro-impacts of COVID-19 on food security in Iran, this paper is an attempt to address the dynamic impacts of COVID-19 on food security along with economic and environmental challenges in Iran. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with the hypothesis that COVID-19 has not affected food security in Iran. To address this fundamental hypothesis, we applied the systematic review method to obtain the evidence. Various evidences, including indices and statistics, were collected from national databases, scientific reports, field observations, and interviews. Preliminary results revealed that COVID-19 exerts its effects on the economy, agriculture, and food security of Iran through six major mechanisms, corresponding to a 30% decrease in the purchasing power parity in 2020 beside a significant increase in food prices compared to 2019. On the other hand, the expanding environmental constraints in Iran reduce the capacity of the agricultural sector to play a crucial role in the economy and ensure food security, and in this regard, COVID-19 forces the national programs and budget to combat rising ecological limitations. Accordingly, our study rejects the hypothesis that COVID-19 has not affected food security in Iran.

Excessive use of antibiotics in the healthcare sector and livestock farming has amplified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major environmental threat in recent years. Abiotic stresses, including soil salinity and water pollutants, can affect AMR in soils, which in turn reduces the yield and quality of agricultural products. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of antibiotic resistance and abiotic stresses on antimicrobial resistance in agricultural soils. A systematic review of the peer-reviewed published literature showed that soil contaminants derived from organic and chemical fertilizers, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and untreated sewage sludge can significantly develop AMR through increasing the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) in agricultural soils. Among effective technologies developed to minimize AMR’s negative effects, salinity and heat were found to be more influential in lowering ARGs and subsequently AMR. Several strategies to mitigate AMR in agricultural soils and future directions for research on AMR have been discussed, including integrated control of antibiotic usage and primary sources of ARGs. Knowledge of the factors affecting AMR has the potential to develop effective policies and technologies to minimize its adverse impacts.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 is a pandemic disease that is spreading at different speeds in different countries of the world. Given these issues, the global economy is experiencing a different and new experience that is currently taking place in different countries. We are seeing a decrease in production, logistical problems, as well as a change in production patterns, demand and consumption. The agricultural sector has not been immune to the economic damage of the outbreak and has suffered serious damage. If the necessary measures are not taken for sustainable production in agriculture and maintaining the supply and demand cycle, health and food security will face a crisis. Given that there is always a zero point again about the prevalence and infection, social quarantine and health care are still essential. To manage the problems caused by the Corona crisis, accurate and appropriate programs, mechanisms, and evaluations with different strategies are needed, and appropriate sustainable models should be considered for spatial and temporal requirements

Introduction: Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems that has gradually spread since the industrial revolution with the consumption of fossil fuels. This situation is more visible in the capitals of industrialized and densely populated countries and towns. In late 2019, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus from China around the world, governments imposed strict restrictions on traffic and transportation to combat the epidemic. With the reduction of consumption of petroleum products in the industry and transportation system, air pollution has decreased in many cities in the world. Materials and methods: In this study, air pollution in the provinces of Iran has been collected and analyzed more than 4500 data. Data on 40 days of quarantine from 1 March to 9 April 2020 were examined. Results: The results of this study show that the concentrations of pollutants CO, NO2 , PM10, and PM2.5 decreased by 11, 15, 10, and 6%, respectively, during the lockdown period; but, the SO2 and O3 concentration increased by 15 and 12%. The highest decrease in air pollution is related to Gilan province (-66) and the highest increase in pollution is related to Isfahan province (+37) percent. Calculations show that the AQI has decreased by 6%, but in the second wave of the disease decreased by 75% compared to the lockdown period. Conclusion: The Coronavirus crisis has shown that air pollution can be addressed through the proper implementation of environmental policies.

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