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Entrepreneurship and diversification on English farms: Identifying business enterprise characteristics and change processes

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  • Julian Clark

Abstract

Despite the growing importance attached to entrepreneurship as a policy concept in European Union (EU) agriculture, little assessment has been made of its practical application. This paper makes a preliminary consideration of the issues in relation to on-farm diversification. First the literatures on agricultural diversification and innovation are reviewed to establish entrepreneurial traits in (1) business change processes, and (2) business enterprise characteristics. The business enterprise characteristics are then used to identify entrepreneurial diversified businesses from a sample of 118 agricultural enterprises in England. Some 15 entrepreneurial farm businesses were identified and their managers interviewed to reflect on the underlying change processes that they had adopted during 1997--2001; the effects of diversification in terms of socio-economic benefits at business and regional levels; and the effectiveness of agricultural business advice services in supporting entrepreneurial behaviour. Respondents confirmed the importance of networking processes to managing change in their businesses. Importantly all had benefited from diversification, through increased net income, reduced dependence on agricultural subsidies and greater income stability during the survey period. Regional economic benefits were more difficult to quantify, although positive employment generating effects were evident among businesses. Importantly respondents commented on their disengagement from sectoral extension agencies in contrast to their enthusiastic use of generic business support. Consequently, consideration is made of adjustments in extension and advisory provision to enhance on-farm entrepreneurial diversification.

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  • Julian Clark, 2009. "Entrepreneurship and diversification on English farms: Identifying business enterprise characteristics and change processes," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 213-236, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:21:y:2009:i:2:p:213-236
    DOI: 10.1080/08985620802261559
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    Cited by:

    1. Tang Meirun & Lahcene Makhloufi & Mohamad Ghozali Hassan, 2020. "Environmental Outcomes of Green Entrepreneurship Harmonization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Kevin P. Heanue & Áine Macken Walsh, 2010. "The Rural Development Programme (2007-2013) and Farmer Innovation: A Review to Date and Look to the Future," Working Papers 1007, Rural Economy and Development Programme,Teagasc.
    3. Verhees, Frans J.H.M. & Lans, Thomas & Verstegen, Jos A.A.M., 2011. "Entrepreneurial Proclivity, Market Orientation and Performance of Dutch Farmers and Horticultural growers," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 115548, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Mirosław Biczkowski & Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle & Roman Rudnicki, 2021. "The Impact of RDP Measures on the Diversification of Agriculture and Rural Development—Seeking Additional Livelihoods: The Case of Poland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-26, March.
    5. Shingo Yoshida & Hironori Yagi & Akira Kiminami & Guy Garrod, 2019. "Farm Diversification and Sustainability of Multifunctional Peri-Urban Agriculture: Entrepreneurial Attributes of Advanced Diversification in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-21, May.
    6. Krishnakhi Choudhury & Kanagaraj Easwaran, 2019. "Agricultural entrepreneurship in Lower Brahmaputra Valley, Assam," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Alvarez, Antonio & Garcia-Cornejo, Beatriz & Perez-Mendez, Jose A. & Roibas, David, 2016. "Diversification in Spanish Dairy Farms: Key Drivers of Performance," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 19(B), pages 1-26, August.
    8. Erin Percival Carter & Stephanie Welcomer, 2021. "Designing and Distinguishing Meaningful Artisan Food Experiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-13, July.
    9. Ana Isabel Polo-Peña & Dolores Maria Frías-Jamilena & Miguel Ángel Rodríguez-Molina, 2012. "Marketing practices in the Spanish rural tourism sector and their contribution to business outcomes," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(7-8), pages 503-521, September.
    10. Bernd Pölling & Marcus Mergenthaler, 2017. "The Location Matters: Determinants for “Deepening” and “Broadening” Diversification Strategies in Ruhr Metropolis’ Urban Farming," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-19, July.
    11. Sarah Fitz-Koch & Mattias Nordqvist & Sara Carter & Erik Hunter, 2018. "Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector: A Literature Review and Future Research Opportunities," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(1), pages 129-166, January.
    12. Maietta, Ornella Wanda & De Devitiis, Biagia & Destefanis, Sergio & Suppa, Domenico, 2019. "Human capital and rural development policy: evidence from European FADN regions," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 8(3), December.
    13. Ron Methorst & Dirk Roep & Frans Verhees & Jos Verstegen, 2016. "Drivers for differences in dairy farmers’ perceptions of farm development strategies in an area with nature and landscape as protected public goods," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 31(5), pages 554-571, August.
    14. Heather A. Finnegan & Laura Daari & Atul Jaiswal & Chiling Joanna Sinn & Kate Ellis & Lismi Kallan & Duyen Nguyen & Natasha L. Gallant, 2022. "Changing Care: Applying the Transtheoretical Model of Change to Embed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Long-Term Care Research in Canada," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-11, May.
    15. Ewa Kiryluk-Dryjska & Barbara Więckowska, 2020. "Territorial Clusters of Farmers’ Interest in Diversification in Poland: Geospatial Location and Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-15, June.
    16. Nguyen, Phuc Canh & Nguyen, Bach & Thanh, Su Dinh, 2022. "The importance of export diversification for national entrepreneurship density," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 114-129.

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