L’environnement d’affaires réduit-il l’orientation entrepreneuriale des agriculteurs ?

This article investigates the entrepreneurial dynamism of Québec?s agricultural producers and the factors that are likely to develop or hinder this dynamism in various institutional contexts. We conducted a study with agricultural producers in Québec?s Mauricie region, categorized on the basis of Québec?s agricultural structure nomenclature (niche production; mass production; supply management production). Our findings reveal that agricultural producers with a more entrepreneurial profile pursue an entrepreneurial approach, regardless of any regulatory constraints. They do so by identifying business opportunities, developing a vision, designing a business model, driving an organization, and using external networks. These producers also adopt entrepreneurial strategies: diversifying their operations to increase added value, undertaking ground-breaking product innovation, adopting a proactive approach, and taking high risks. They succeed in doing so by having a more marked entrepreneurial competency profile than traditional farmers, who are more focused on production efficiency.