Self-Sufficiency in Iran: The Water-Agriculture-Environment Conundrum

Iran's increasing population has posed significant challenges to agriculture in ensuring food security. As a major agricultural producer in the Middle East, Iran has long pursued the goal of food self-sufficiency. However, the viability of this ambitious objective remains uncertain and widely debated. This conversation between Dr. Kaveh Madani and Dr. Mohsen B. Mesgaran on May 1, 2025 at Stanford University explored the connections between self-sufficiency, food security, and the pressures on Iran’s water and agricultural systems. The discussion examined whether the drive for self-sufficiency has contributed to water resource depletion and environmental degradation. It also addressed whether technological advancements could help resolve water challenges and enable sustainable self-sufficiency or secure food production through more efficient agricultural practices. The dialogue offered insights into balancing agricultural goals with environmental and water resource management. The conversation was moderated by Matin Mirramezani, the Stanford Iran 2040 Project Manager at the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies at Stanford University. Kaveh Madani is the Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the Founding Chair of the UNU Sustainability Nexus AID Programme. Additionally, he holds a Research Professorship at the City University of New York's Remote Sensing Earth Systems Institute. Dr. Madani is a distinguished environmental scientist, educator, and leader renowned for his interdisciplinary approach to addressing complex environmental and human security challenges. He has previously served as the Deputy Head of Iran’s Department of Environment. He joined UNU from Yale University and prior to his public service, he was a tenured faculty member of the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London. He has over 350 publications addressing critical issues such as water management, environmental policy, energy systems, food security, climate change adaptation, and environmental diplomacy across various regions. His pioneering contributions to science, policy, and society have earned him multiple prestigious awards, including the New Face of Civil Engineering (ASCE), Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists (EGU), Walter Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (ASCE), Ambassador Award (AGU), and Honorary Diplomate (EWRA).Mohsen B. Mesgaran is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and a Senior Research Fellow at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH), where he leads the Ecological Modeling and Food Security. As an agroecologist and modeler, Dr. Mesgaran works at the intersection of agriculture, ecology, and technology, employing quantitative approaches that integrate statistical and mathematical models, physiological (crop growth) models, and machine learning (AI) to develop “eco-tech” solutions for the ecological management of agricultural and natural systems. His overarching research goal is to enhance the sustainability of agroecosystems and reduce the environmental impact of agricultural practices through the integration of ecological principles, agronomy, and advanced technology. Prior to joining UC Davis, he was a Research Scientist at Stanford University's Iranian Studies Program (Stanford Iran 2040 Project), where he conducted large-scale, data-driven studies related to land and water resources in Iran, which culminated in the co-authorship of the book The Struggle for Development in Iran (SUP, 2022).Part of the Stanford Iran 2040 Project. https://iranian-studies.stanford.edu/iran-2040-project/home