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Synonyms

Agricultural innovation; Entrepreneurship in agriculture

Key Concepts: Defining Agricultural Entrepreneurship

Why Agricultural Entrepreneurship?

Traditionally, agriculture is seen as a low-tech industry with limited dynamics dominated by numerous small family firms which are mostly focused on doing things better rather than doing new things. Over the last decade, this situation has changed dramatically due to economic liberalization, a reduced protection of agricultural markets, and a fast changing, more critical, society. Agricultural companies increasingly have to adapt to the vagaries of the market, changing consumer habits, enhanced environmental regulations, new requirements for product quality, chain management, food safety, sustainability, and so on. These changes have cleared the way for new entrants, innovation, and portfolio entrepreneurship. It is recognized by politicians, practitioners as well as scientists that farmers and growers increasingly require...

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Lans, T., Seuneke, P., Klerkx, L. (2013). Agricultural Entrepreneurship. In: Carayannis, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3858-8_496

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3858-8_496

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