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Despite significant changes to the agricultural sector worldwide and major changes in demographic and population internal migrations and rural environs in recent years, the topic of rural enterprise and rural entrepreneurship in developing economies has not been the subject of concerted academic attention. As a consequence, with the exception of a few texts, the area remains relatively under-researched. This is particularly the case at the international level. This handbook aims to bridge this gap in the literature by offering a collection of contemporary research contributions that explore the complex nature of rural enterprise across a range of settings and geographical contexts. In particular, the book will include up to date policy contributions, as well as valuable insights into rural enterprise in practice in developing economies.
This handbook is concerned with defining and conceptualising rural entrepreneurship in developing economies. Much rural enterprise policy tends to be US or European focussed with an almost hegemonic notion that these countries have a superior knowledge of rural policy and rural entrepreneurship. Yet, it may be the case that rural entrepreneurship in some less developed countries is actually considerably more advanced in its practice, particularly when it comes to innovation to help mitigate the effects of the climate and environmental crisis.
In addition, although all regional and national economies consist of urban and rural components, much of the entrepreneurship literature tends to have an urban-centric focus. Thus, this book focuses on two important questions. Firstly, should there actually be a categorisation called 'rural entrepreneurship' or is it simply 'entrepreneurial activity' that occurs in rural environments in developed economies? Secondly, is a 'rural' business any different to an 'urban' business in terms of how it 'does business?' By way of laying the foundation for the wide range of contributions presented in this book a key aim is to seek to explore how and why a rural enterprise can be defined, and determine whether rural entrepreneurship is a distinctive category of entrepreneurship theory and practice.
List of contents
Table of Contents
Introduction.
What is rural enterprise?
Theories of Rural Entrepreneurship.
Climate crisis and sustainability issues.
Demographic changes - the changing nature of land ownership/the workforce including 'The greying of farming' and the increase in farm women.
New innovative practices - urban farming, hydroponics and vertical farming.
Section 2 - The Americas
North America
South America
Brazil. Walter Mswaka
Mexico Asael Islas-Moreno and Wynn Morris
Section 3 - Africa
Sub Saharan Africa
Zambia Adrian Wood
Sub Saharan Africa - Emmanuel Bunei
Section 4 - Asia
Asian economies
India
Indonesia
Pakistan Nabeel Muhammad
Section 5 - Middle Eastern economies
Egypt. Nermin Elkfrawi
Oman Suhail Ghouse
Iran. Hosseini, S
Jordan. Deema Refai
Section 6
Developing European Economies
Rural Policy
Kosovo Shqipe Gashi Nulleshi
Section 7 - Conclusion - Gerard McElwee and Robert Smith
About the author
Gerard is Professor of Rural Entrepreneurship at University of York St John, York, England. His current interests are village sustainability, and illegal entrepreneurship in the rural. Gerard is a Volunteer Ranger for the North York National Park. He is passionate about the North Yorkshire Moors and Rural Issues.
Rob Smith has been a serving police officer, in Aberdeenshire for over 25 years, before he started his new adventures in education and teaching. He was awarded his PhD in 2006. He worked at Robert Gordon University and very soon was appointed Reader. In a relatively short period of time, he was awarded his first professorial position in 2015. Following ill-health retirement from his professorial role, Rob has worked as an independent scholar and consultant, maintaining active research through visiting positions at De Montfort University, University of Leicester and with East Midlands Academic Police Collaboration [EMPAC] at Loughborough University, while continuing as a doctoral supervisor at Heriot-Watt University. This extraordinary career demonstrates how Robert successfully leveraged his practical policing experience to become an internationally respected scholar with over 200 publications, having supervised 14 doctoral students to completion and examined 30+ doctoral theses, while developing expertise spanning criminal entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial policing, community policing, rural enterprise crime, and food fraud.
Summary
Despite major global shifts in agriculture, demographics, and rural environments, rural enterprise and entrepreneurship in developing economies remain underresearched, especially at the international level. This handbook addresses this gap by presenting contemporary research on rural enterprise across diverse settings, with a particular focus on Africa. It offers practical insights from countries including Egypt, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Much existing policy is US or Europe-centric, often assuming superior knowledge. However, the examples discussed in this volume show that rural entrepreneurship in less developed countries may be more focused and innovative than in the Global North, especially in innovating to address climate and environmental challenges due to the immediate and visible impacts of climate change on food production and weather.
This book addresses two key questions: First, in light of the fact that entrepreneurship literature tends to be urban-centric, should "rural entrepreneurship" be a distinct category, or is it simply entrepreneurial activity in rural areas? Second, is a rural business fundamentally different from an urban one in its operations?
With its wide range of contributions and unique exploration of the definition of rural enterprise, this handbook will benefit academic scholars and postgraduate students interested in rural entrepreneurship and rural development.
