A Qualitative Investigation into Perceived Barriers Experienced by European Female Agri-Food Entrepreneurs Situated in Rural Regions for Sustaining the Food Sector †
Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, Atlantic Technological University, H91 T8NW Galway, Ireland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023, Belgrade, Serbia, 14–17 November 2023.
Proceedings 2023, 91(1), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091322
Published: 17 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023)
Abstract
:Introduction: Agri-food systems in Europe are predominantly male-dominated. Female food entrepreneurs can play a key role in the development of novel, sustainable food products. The aim of the present study was to gain an increased understanding of the various barriers which female agri-food entrepreneurs situated in rural areas perceive as hindrances to their entrepreneurial growth and development. Methodology: A total of five separate focus groups (n = 29 participants; 18 females) were carried out with agri-food entrepreneurs throughout Europe (Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Italy). The discussions were semi-structured and revolved around individuals’ perceptions of the support received from their surrounding infrastructure and their opinions on mentorship programmes. A reflective thematic analysis was conducted following verbatim transcription of the conversations from the focus groups. Findings: Three major themes were identified: 1. Business Initiation and Development, 2. Perceived Barriers, and 3. Mentorship Programmes. Of these central themes, each of these themes was further divided into accompanying sub-themes. The most often-cited theme was the lack of adequate financial support and experiencing frustration with the complexity of funding application administrative processes. Socio-cultural support was oftentimes lacking, with participants noting they often felt more senior, experienced entrepreneurs gatekept information to avoid their development and expansion. Females in particular experienced gender-discriminatory behaviour from peers and those more senior than themselves. Finally, the vast majority of participants were aware of the benefits of an online presence but lacked confidence in their digital abilities and were unsure where to source the relevant support. Conclusions: These findings highlight a range of issues that need to be addressed to improve the infrastructure surrounding agri-food entrepreneurs throughout Europe and sustain the food sector. This knowledge may be used to guide policymakers and those at decision-making levels.
Author Contributions
M.M. developed the data concept, collection and funding application for the research reviewed, and refined the written manuscript; L.R. developed the data concept, collection and funding application for the research reviewed, and refined the written manuscript; T.R. analysed the interview transcripts, generated codes, and was major contributor in writing the manuscript; A.M. compiled the interview transcripts and was contributor in writing manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus + KA2 fund (2020–1-IE01-KA202-066017) for the project Advancing Women Agri-Food Rural Environments (AWARE).
Institutional Review Board Statement
This research was granted ethical approval by the Research Sub-Committee of the Academic Council of Atlantic Technological University (ATURCS_AC_2022).
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
Data are contained within the article.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
McDonagh, M.; Ryan, T.; Moran, A.; Ryan, L. A Qualitative Investigation into Perceived Barriers Experienced by European Female Agri-Food Entrepreneurs Situated in Rural Regions for Sustaining the Food Sector. Proceedings 2023, 91, 322. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091322
AMA Style
McDonagh M, Ryan T, Moran A, Ryan L. A Qualitative Investigation into Perceived Barriers Experienced by European Female Agri-Food Entrepreneurs Situated in Rural Regions for Sustaining the Food Sector. Proceedings. 2023; 91(1):322. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091322
Chicago/Turabian StyleMcDonagh, Maria, Tansy Ryan, Aisling Moran, and Lisa Ryan. 2023. "A Qualitative Investigation into Perceived Barriers Experienced by European Female Agri-Food Entrepreneurs Situated in Rural Regions for Sustaining the Food Sector" Proceedings 91, no. 1: 322. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091322
