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.Â
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.