Search Results (245)

Women’s empowerment through social entrepreneurship has become an important strategy for promoting social inclusion and sustainable rural development, particularly in culturally distinctive communities. However, limited evidence explains how individual and environmental factors encourage women to transform social entrepreneurial intentions into concrete actions. This study aims to investigate the determinants of social entrepreneurial behaviour among entrepreneurs committed to empowering Madurese women. It examines the moderating role of environmental munificence in the relationship between social entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. A quantitative approach was employed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse survey data collected from 143 entrepreneurs on Madura Island, Indonesia. The findings indicate that empathy and self-efficacy positively influence social entrepreneurial intention, whereas moral obligation has no significant effect. Social entrepreneurial intention significantly predicts social entrepreneurial behaviour, and environmental munificence strengthens this relationship by providing supportive conditions for entrepreneurial action. These findings highlight the importance of combining individual capabilities with enabling social environments to foster women’s empowerment. The study contributes to research on gender, rural development, and social entrepreneurship by providing evidence from an underexplored cultural context and offering practical implications for policymakers and community development initiatives. Full article

Farmland infrastructure investment is essential for agricultural productivity, rural development, and agricultural green transformation. However, empirical evidence on whether and how farmland infrastructure investment promotes agricultural green entrepreneurship remains limited. Exploiting China’s High-Standard Farmland Construction (HSFC) program as a quasi-natural experiment, this study uses provincial panel data from 2003 to 2023 and a continuous difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine its impact on agricultural green entrepreneurship. The results show that HSFC significantly promotes both the entry and stock of agricultural green enterprises. These findings remain robust across a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis indicates that the HSFC program promotes agricultural green entrepreneurship through two complementary channels: entrepreneurial empowerment (through improved innovation performance, agricultural mechanization, land transfer, and financial access) and agricultural green transition (through enhanced green innovation, green finance, and reduced pesticide use). Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the positive effects of the HSFC program are more pronounced in regions with higher population density, lower human capital, and lower levels of informatization, as well as in non-main grain-producing areas. These findings highlight the entrepreneurial benefits of farmland infrastructure investment and suggest that, when supported by complementary policies, such investment can help developing countries foster agricultural green entrepreneurship and advance sustainable agricultural development. They also indicate that the environmental benefits of farmland infrastructure may emerge gradually and depend on broader green policy support. Full article

Improving the quality of agriculture-related market entry is central to rural industrial upgrading, yet existing studies mainly measure entry quantity. The primary objective of this study is to assess whether the county-level business environment is associated with the structural quality of new agriculture-related entrants. Specifically, the study asks three questions: whether the association is positive; whether financial services, market connectivity, and human capital supply are consistent transmission channels; and whether the association varies with agricultural foundations, initial factor market conditions, and access to urban spillovers. Using Chinese business registration records and county-level socioeconomic data for 2010–2023, we construct a county–year panel and measure entry quality through capital quality, organizational quality, and value chain extension. Two-way fixed effects, double machine learning, fractional response models, robustness tests, and a supplementary instrumental variable diagnostic are applied. The preferred fixed effects estimate indicates that a 0.1 increase in the business environment index is associated with a 4.16 percentage point increase in the high-quality entry ratio; a one-standard-deviation increase corresponds to approximately 3.77 percentage points. The association remains positive under nonlinear and bounded-outcome specifications. Channel tests are consistent with financial, market connectivity, and human capital pathways, and the association is stronger in central and western counties, non-municipal districts, counties with stronger agricultural foundations, and counties with weaker initial financial and market conditions. Because the estimate becomes statistically insignificant after prefecture-by-year fixed effects are included, the findings are interpreted as robust conditional associations rather than definitive county-level causal effects. Full article

Cultivated land is the cornerstone of agricultural production, and its green utilization efficiency is directly linked to the sustainable development of the ecological environment. To investigate the impact and mechanisms of rural entrepreneurship and innovation (REI) on the cultivated land green utilization efficiency (CLGUE), this study employs a Super-SBM with undesired output to estimate the CLGUE of 27 provincial-level administrative units in China from 2014 to 2022. Using a fixed-effects model, the study analyzes the impact of REI on CLGUE and reaches the following conclusions: (1) An increase in REI has a significant positive effect on CLGUE across all provinces, and this conclusion remains robust after testing. (2) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the positive impact of REI on CLGUE is more pronounced in the eastern and central regions, as well as in areas with lower urbanization rates and higher levels of digital inclusive finance development. (3) Mechanism analysis reveals that REI promotes improvements in CLGUE through three pathways: driving agricultural technological progress, increasing investment in agriculture, and optimizing labor allocation. (4) The impact of REI on CLGUE exhibits a threshold effect; once REI reaches a certain level, its promotional effect is further strengthened. (5) Farm household cultivation scale acts as a negative moderator in the relationship between REI and CLGUE; the higher the proportion of farm households cultivating large-scale cultivated land, the less significant the impact of REI on CLGUE. (6) Stable farmland tenure relationships better facilitate the promotional effect of REI on CLGUE. This study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for optimizing green cultivated land utilization models and improving the quality of cultivated land utilization. Full article

Rural communities face persistent economic challenges, and universities increasingly serve as catalysts for regional entrepreneurial development. This study evaluates the RISE29 program, a consulting-based internship initiative placing interdisciplinary undergraduate teams as paid interns with small businesses in economically distressed counties of Eastern North Carolina, examining what students across disciplines learned. Drawing on Cope’s entrepreneurial learning framework as a sensitizing theoretical lens, the study asks: (1) What themes characterize the entrepreneurial learning experiences described by RISE29 interns across cohorts and disciplines? (2) How do reflective depth, student agency, and program satisfaction vary across cohort periods, disciplinary affiliations, and program structures? A multi-layered qualitative analysis of 158 written reflection papers submitted across ten cohorts (Spring 2019–Summer 2022) was integrated with deductive qualitative analysis guided by Cope’s entrepreneurial learning framework, constructivist grounded theory coding, reflexive thematic analysis, reflective depth coding, sentiment and tone analysis, and cross-group comparison. Seven themes emerged: communication as the central axis of learning; collaborative identity development; leadership identity formation; encounter with Eastern North Carolina’s rural communities; professional identity and career clarity; real-world learning and classroom transfer; and program satisfaction with constructive critique. All four dimensions of Cope’s framework were present across disciplines, and non-Business students, in several cases, demonstrated a high degree of analytical depth warranting further investigation. Reflective depth increased in cohorts using an expanded prompt, though overlapping structural changes across the study period preclude single-factor attribution. Place-based, consulting-driven experiential programs generate substantive entrepreneurial learning across disciplinary lines, though findings reflect students’ perceived learning rather than verified competency acquisition. These results support investment in client vetting, structured reflection, cross-disciplinary teaming, and in-person community engagement. Full article

Rural entrepreneurship is a key driver of rural economic development. However, limited evidence indicates how financial support affects rural households’ entrepreneurship through integrated mechanisms. Using 2109 micro-survey data points from rural Henan Province, Probit and OLS models were used to examine the impacts, moderating effects, and mediating pathways of formal and informal finance on rural households’ entrepreneurial decision-making and performance. This study makes two contributions. First, it differentiates entrepreneurial decision-making and performance as two stages of the entrepreneurial process. Second, it proposes an integrated three-path framework incorporating one moderating effect (the interaction between financial support and financing constraints) alongside two mediating mechanisms (risk-taking willingness and investment scale), which enables a more refined interpretation of the heterogeneous impacts exerted by financial support throughout distinct entrepreneurial stages. Both formal and informal finance can positively facilitate entrepreneurial decision-making, with formal support having stronger marginal effects. Financial support has varied impacts on rural household entrepreneurship, depending on household income, entrepreneurship type, and region. By alleviating financing constraints and optimizing resource allocation, financial support improves rural households’ entrepreneurial probability and business performance. By enhancing households’ risk-taking willingness and expanding asset investment, this support injects endogenous impetus into rural development. This financial empowerment mechanism can remove entrepreneurship barriers, facilitate the expansion of opportunity-based entrepreneurship, drive rural economic resilience, and promote inclusive, sustainable regional development. Full article

There is renewed interest in local sourcing, regional supply chains, and the rebuilding of fiber-to-fashion systems. However, limited attention has been paid to the upstream role of fiber farmers and the infrastructure that enables or constrains regional textile economies. This study investigates the opportunities and challenges of fiber farming in West Virginia and explores the motivations that drive participation in this sector. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 fiber farmers across West Virginia. The findings revealed five interconnected themes: heterogeneous actants, the translation of wool, regional network breakdown, festivals and social media as network hubs, and institutional gaps and network fragility. The results indicate that fiber farming persists through strong community networks, adaptive entrepreneurial strategies, and deep attachments to place. However, its economic viability is constrained by declining processing infrastructure, labor shortages, weakened institutional support, and fragmented supply chains. These challenges also have important sustainability implications. Most notably, wool is often discarded because processing and transportation costs exceed its market value, resulting in the waste of a renewable and biodegradable fiber that could otherwise remain in productive use. This study contributes to the literature on local sourcing, rural entrepreneurship, and sustainable and circular economies by highlighting the relational infrastructures required to rebuild regionally embedded textile systems in Appalachia and beyond. Full article

In the context of revitalizing rural development, farmer entrepreneurship has emerged as a significant driver of rural economic growth. However, existing research has not sufficiently examined the specific mechanisms or heterogeneous effects through which digital skills influence farm household entrepreneurial behavior. This gap is the focus of the present study. Utilizing micro-level survey data collected from 936 farm households across Shandong, Shaanxi, and Henan provinces in 2021, we construct a digital skills index using factor analysis. We then employ a Probit model and an Interaction term model to examine the impact of digital skills on entrepreneurial behavior among Chinese rural households and its underlying mechanisms. Additionally, we explore heterogeneity across different household types. The results show that digital skills are positively associated with entrepreneurial decision-making. Further analysis provides suggestive evidence that this relationship may operate through three channels: shaping risk preferences, expanding relational networks, and improving access to credit. Heterogeneity tests reveal that the promoting effect of digital skills is stronger among disadvantaged households, households with a head younger than 45, and those engaged in opportunity-driven or online entrepreneurship. Theoretically, this study contributes by empirically validating a multi-pathway mechanism framework and identifying relevant boundary conditions. Practically, it offers targeted insights for policymakers to design skill-based interventions and foster inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems in rural areas. Full article

With the continuous development of rural digitalization, digital literacy has gradually become an important factor affecting farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior. Based on microdata from the China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS) from 2014 to 2022, this paper systematically evaluates the influence and mechanisms of digital literacy on farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior. This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation system of digital literacy in three dimensions: digital equipment operation literacy, digital technology application literacy, and digital knowledge learning literacy. The entropy weight method is used to determine the index weight, and kernel density estimation and the Moran index method are used to analyze the temporal evolution and spatial agglomeration characteristics of digital literacy. The results show the following: (1) From 2014 to 2022, the overall level of farmers’ digital literacy in China improved significantly, but regional differences remained evident. (2) Digital literacy significantly promotes farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior, both directly and indirectly by alleviating financing constraints and enhancing social capital, while policy accessibility further strengthens this positive relationship. (3) The promotion effect of digital literacy is more significant among young people and among farmers with higher levels of education and better health. The research conclusions enrich the theoretical foundations of the digital economy and rural entrepreneurship, and provide a policy reference for promoting high-quality rural development and enhancing farmers’ entrepreneurial capacity. This study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing digital literacy as a multidimensional form of human capital and empirically demonstrating its effects on rural entrepreneurial behavior and the mechanisms underlying these effects. The findings enrich the theoretical understanding of the digital economy and rural entrepreneurship, and provide policy implications for promoting high-quality rural development and strengthening farmers’ entrepreneurial capacity. Full article

This study evaluated the outcomes associated with the Avanzar Rural Project among young entrepreneurs from five regions of Peru. The research was conducted in 13 provinces across Amazonas, Áncash, Cajamarca, Lima, and San Martín, involving 146 participants from 60 producer organizations. Data were collected between September and October 2025 through a validated survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA). The study follows an ex post design without a baseline or control group; therefore, the results reflect participants’ reported changes and statistical associations rather than causal effects. The findings indicate widespread reported improvements in productive performance, including income, asset acquisition, and production efficiency, alongside strengthened adaptive capacities and technical skills. Regression results show that access to productive assets and training in production technologies are key factors associated with income growth and increased sales. In contrast, climate adaptation capacities and sustainable management training are linked to improved resilience. In addition, limited access to digital training and infrastructure constrains market engagement. The MCA reveals significant territorial differences in economic performance, institutional development, environmental management, and market integration. In conclusion, the results suggest the importance of integrated and territorially differentiated support strategies that combine productive investment, capacity building, and market-oriented interventions to strengthen youth-led agricultural systems. Full article

Urban shrinkage has become a critical constraint on China’s pursuit of high-quality economic development. As a core driver of new-quality productive forces, digital technological innovation warrants systematic examination for its role in mitigating urban shrinkage. Given the current lack of research on multidimensional measures of urban shrinkage and the mechanisms through which digital technologies influence this phenomenon, this study utilizes panel data from 269 prefecture-level and higher cities in China from 2014 to 2022. By employing two-way fixed-effects models, mediation models, and threshold regression models, the study systematically examines the impact, mechanisms, and nonlinear characteristics of digital technology innovation on urban shrinkage. The empirical results demonstrate that digital technological innovation has a significant mitigating effect on urban shrinkage; this conclusion holds even after conducting a series of robustness tests, including replacing the core explanatory variable, accounting for lag effects, using SYS-GMM estimation, and adjusting the sample range. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the mitigating effect is more pronounced in shrinking cities, peripheral cities, resource-based cities, and cities with lower educational attainment. Mechanism analysis reveals that agricultural-related innovation acts as a mediating channel, whereas rural entrepreneurship exhibits a “partial masking effect” in the relationship between digital technological innovation and urban shrinkage. Moderation analysis further shows that higher levels of ecological environmental resilience amplify the inhibitory effect of digital technological innovation. Finally, threshold regression results identify a significant double-threshold effect, with the mitigating impact of digital technological innovation emerging only after exceeding the first threshold value of 5.690. Based on these findings, this study recommends implementing differentiated digital-technology-driven innovation strategies, with agriculture-related innovation serving as a strategic entry point to stimulate regional innovation and entrepreneurial vitality. At the same time, strengthening ecological resilience should be promoted to support coordinated green and digital transformation. These findings provide empirical evidence for the formulation of differentiated urban digital transformation policies aimed at mitigating urban shrinkage. Full article

Agriculture faces climate change, price volatility, and policy uncertainty. Because traditional agricultural insurance instruments often prove insufficient to address these risks, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has introduced additional risk-management instruments such as mutual funds. The paper applies the Business Model Stress Testing framework to assess the robustness and adaptability of a mutual fund business model. The sustainability of the mutual model depends on building trust, enabling legislation, ensuring transparent governance, diversifying funding sources, agri-tech and alignment with support measures are the most critical factors. Within the current institutional framework, the lack of cooperative tradition and management capacities, the application of mutuals is hardly feasible for Croatia. Instead of a collective risk-sharing instruments approach, the paper suggests supporting the cooperation of stakeholders from different risk layers in harnessing digital technology and AI in developing enhanced agricultural risk management. Even though such an approach could be fuzzy too, it could bring impact faster and even contribute to the relevancy of the mutual model. The paper contributes to the literature on sustainable business model innovation in agriculture that enhances farm resilience in high-risk environments. This exercise might have policy implications for transition economies seeking to operationalize innovative tools in climate risk management and rural development. Full article

Rural property rights reform is considered paramount for mobilizing land resources and promoting rural entrepreneurship. However, the outcomes of tenure clarification depend on the role of the land in household livelihoods. The study focuses on China’s homestead rights confirmation and examines its effects on farmer entrepreneurship. The analysis is based on data from 2337 households in Jiangsu Province from the 2020 China Land Economic Survey. The application of Probit and endogenous switching Probit models yielded the following finding: confirming homestead rights reduces the probability of farmer entrepreneurship by approximately 11.4 percentage points. This decline can be attributed to several factors, including a decrease in homestead utilization, a shift towards lower-investment-risk preferences, an increase in entrepreneurial risk perception, and a contraction in entrepreneurial social networks. Collectively, these factors contribute to a reshaping of households’ risk evaluation and asset allocation. The negative impact is primarily observed among households with higher dependency ratios, poorer housing conditions, older heads of household, and those residing in less developed areas. The findings indicate that the consequences of property rights confirmation are characterized by institutional and functional specificity, thereby underscoring the necessity for measures that promote land transfer, exit, and risk-sharing to harmonize tenure reform with entrepreneurship. Full article

It is widely recognised that rural tourism influences the socio-economic structure of rural areas. Less attention, however, has been given to the reverse relationship—namely, how the economic conditions of rural municipalities shape the level and diversity of their tourism functions. This publication represents an effort to enrich research in this area. The study aimed to identify the relationships between selected economic indicators of rural areas and the level of their tourism function. The study’s spatial scope covered 1498 rural municipalities in Poland. The temporal scope encompassed the years 2018–2023, which were divided into three sub-periods: 2018–2019, 2020–2021, and 2022–2023. To achieve the research objective, the following methods were applied: the Zero Unitarisation Method, correlation analysis, and linear mixed-effects models. The constructed synthetic tourism function index enabled distinguishing between rural areas with high and low tourism attractiveness. The analysed rural municipalities exhibited considerable variation in the constructed index. The correlation analysis across four groups of rural areas, classified by the level of the tourism function index and selected economic indicators, revealed only weak to moderate relationships in the group of rural municipalities with a high level of tourism attractiveness (group 1). No such relationships were identified in the remaining groups of rural areas. The mixed-effects model further demonstrated that, among the six analysed economic indicators, the entrepreneurship rate and the unemployment rate had statistically significant effects on the tourism function index value. Group affiliation and the time factor exerted a strong and unambiguous influence on the dependent variable. Full article

Artisanal fishing, understood as a form of rural entrepreneurship, extends beyond purely economic performance; however, the quantitative influence of informal institutions on sustainable value creation remains insufficiently examined. This study analyzes how Indigenous governance, cooperation, and ancestral knowledge shape the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability in artisanal fisheries. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was applied using face-to-face surveys administered to 148 fishers in Taganga, Colombia. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both measurement and structural relationships. The results indicate that Indigenous governance is strongly associated with sustainable value creation, significantly enhancing economic, social, and environmental outcomes through collective participation, cooperative arrangements, and community-based environmental practices. Ancestral knowledge shows a specific but meaningful relationship with social value by reinforcing cultural identity and community cohesion; this construct was measured through fishers’ perceptions of intergenerational knowledge transmission, traditions, and cultural values shared by elder fishers. Cooperation exhibits a positive association with economic value by strengthening productive resilience, although its effects do not extend to broader social outcomes. Overall, the model explains moderate proportions of economic and social value and a low proportion of environmental value. These findings demonstrate that informal institutions operate as differentiated yet essential mechanisms of sustainability, highlighting the importance of strengthening Indigenous governance, consolidating cooperative practices, and integrating ancestral knowledge into governance strategies for small-scale fisheries. Full article