The Handbook Of Research On Entrepreneurship In Agriculture And Rural Development

‘The great strength of The Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and Rural Development is the breadth of topics covered. . . all researchers in the field of entrepreneurship will find an inspiring source of diverse analyses bundled in this book. Newcomers in this field may value the book for giving an orientation of the domain of entrepreneurial research.’
– Thomas Herzfeld, Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture

‘The Handbook presents studies on entrepreneurship within the agricultural industry and how farmers and others within the industry have had to adapt to market changes in recent years. . . This title will provide a lot of new information and intriguing facts for those interested in agricultural entrepreneurship.’
– Shannon Graff Hysell, American Reference Books Annual 2012

‘The motivation for this book is well articulated by the editors in their excellent introduction. . . the editors deserve a lot of credit for drawing together different research domains on entrepreneurship in agriculture, food production and rural development. . . the Handbook gives a broad overview of the research going on in the field and because of the diverse nature of the contributions it also bundles a world of case studies and interesting literature sources. This makes it a must-read for everyone working in the field!’
– Jos Verstegen, European Review of Agricultural Economics

The agriculture sector around the world has experienced profound changes in recent years. This unique and path-breaking Handbook draws together the best current research in the area of entrepreneurship in agriculture, food production and rural development.

Agriculture policy reforms have impacted farm incomes, while demand side changes have required the development of sophisticated market driven strategies. Farmers have demonstrated uneven abilities to adapt and adjust to these ongoing changes. The ability and propensity of farmers to engage in entrepreneurial behaviors is a key explanation of the different patterns of responses within the sector. This book examines these issues through three main themes. The first theme focuses on the firm and the individual entrepreneurs, exploring entrepreneurship within the farm sector. The second takes a sector and industry perspective, exploring new developments in food production and distribution systems. The third theme explores the inter-relationship between agricultural entrepreneurship and its spatial context. Contributions are drawn from international research settings (Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, North America, Australasia) and offer an interdisciplinary approach to the subject.

This astute Handbook, which will challenge and enrich the current literature, will appeal to academics in entrepreneurship, small business studies, agriculture, rural studies, rural sociology and agricultural economics, as well as food industry economists, policymakers and all those interested in supporting agricultural and rural businesses.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Researching Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and Rural Development
Gry Agnete Alsos, Sara Carter, Elisabet Ljunggren and Friederike Welter

PART I: ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE FARMING SECTOR
2. The Development of New Ventures in Farm Businesses
Richard Ferguson and Christer Olofsson

3. Pluriactivity, Entrepreneurship and Socio-economic Success of Farming Households
Lasandahasi R. de Silva and Sarath S. Kodithuwakku

4. The Family Farm as a Premise for Entrepreneurship
Anne Moxnes Jervell

5. Entrepreneurial Efforts and Change in Rural Firms: Three Case Studies of Farms Engaged in On-farm Diversification
Jorunn Grande

6. Obstacles to the Development and Strategic Intentions of Forestry SMEs in Eastern Canada
Etienne St-Jean, Luc LeBel and Josée Audet

7. Entrepreneurial Skills Among Farmers: Approaching a Policy Discourse
Jarkko Pyysiäinen, Darren Halpin and Kari Miko Vesala

PART II: INNOVATIONS IN FOOD PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION
8. The Determinants of High-growth Entrepreneurship in the Scottish Food and Drink Cluster
Ross Brown

9. Entrepreneurship First or Last? Biodynamic Enterprise in New Zealand
Kate Lewis, Robyn Walker and Sue Cassells

10. Contextualising Business Model Development in Nordic Rural Gourmet Restaurants
Magdalena Markowska, Rögnvaldur J. Saemundsson and Johan Wiklund

11. The Arkansas Delta Produce Marketing Association: Rural Entrepreneurship in the US Delta Region
Kenneth L. Robinson, Edward Abrokwah, Iris Liang, Scott Sanders, Michael Wang and Kytson McNeil

12. Why do Farm Entrepreneurs Sell at Farmers’ Markets? Insights from Norway
Asbjørn Veidal and Ola Flaten

13. Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts? Online Latent and Untapped Outlets for Farmers’ Markets in South East Wales
David Pickernell, Christopher Miller, Julienne Senyard, Brychan Thomas and Richard Tunstall

PART III: AGRICULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ITS SPATIAL CONTEXT
14. The Welfare Effect of Economic Diversity in Rural Regions: An Analysis of Dutch Municipalities
Sierdjan Koster, Aleid E. Brouwer and Eveline S. van Leeuwen

15. Rural Enterprise and Neo-endogenous Development
Jane Atterton, Robert Newbery, Gary Bosworth and Arthur Affleck

16. Agricultural and Forestry Entrepreneurship: Learning from the Experience of an Aboriginal Community in Canada
Jean-Michel Beaudoin, Luc LeBel and Luc Bouthillier

17. The Entrepreneurial Farmer in Action: The Use of Different Forms of Capital
Jane Glover

Index