Chapter 9: Food and Rural Entrepreneurship

The food sector represents an important part of the rural economy in many countries. With a rapidly increasing global population, many questions exist as to how we will manage to feed the growing population (Bowen et al., 2024). Recent global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have highlighted the disruptions that can occur in international supply chains, and the interdependence that exists between countries in food supply chains (Aday & Aday, 2020). As the rural economy often experiences challenges due to limited infrastructure, less resources, and geographic isolation, entrepreneurial activity is important in developing and sustaining new opportunities in the rural economy (Korsgaard et al., 2021). Simultaneously, rural areas are also facing global pressures from climate change, leading to an increasing emphasis on applying more sustainable production methods, and emerging regulations to promote greener practices (Dowell et al., 2023).