Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions

Globally, agroecology entrepreneurial undertakings are crucial in mitigating environmental susceptibility to climate change and fostering economic resilience, particularly in vulnerable regions. In Africa, however, entrepreneurs in this sector face numerous barriers, including complex land tenure sy...

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Main Authors: Ishmael Iwara, Beata Kilonzo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Noyam Journals 2025-04-01
Series:E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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Online Access:https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EHASS2025652.pdf
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author Ishmael Iwara
Beata Kilonzo
author_facet Ishmael Iwara
Beata Kilonzo
author_sort Ishmael Iwara
collection DOAJ
description Globally, agroecology entrepreneurial undertakings are crucial in mitigating environmental susceptibility to climate change and fostering economic resilience, particularly in vulnerable regions. In Africa, however, entrepreneurs in this sector face numerous barriers, including complex land tenure systems dominated by traditional authorities, access to funding, inconsistent consumer demand, and technological constraints. Through a qualitative participatory action research approach, this case study examined the lived experiences of agroecology entrepreneurs operating in South Africa, offering comprehensive insights for stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, green investors, and policymakers. The key findings isolated multi-stakeholder collaboration and public-private partnerships as essential in mitigating the identified challenges. These measures could target consumer awareness campaigns to bridge the “green gap” and align purchasing behaviours with sustainability goals. Subsidising green technologies for sustainable agroecology ventures is also necessary for overcoming technological limitations. The study offers a comprehensive approach to facilitating sustainable agroecology entrepreneurship in rural areas.
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series E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
spelling doaj-art-49bc3da243144041b77eb3872f9f41002025-08-20T03:08:33ZengNoyam JournalsE-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences2720-77222025-04-0165392401https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2025652Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic InterventionsIshmael Iwara0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8886-576X Beata Kilonzo1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5336-1270Institute for Rural Development, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa.Institute for Rural Development, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa.Globally, agroecology entrepreneurial undertakings are crucial in mitigating environmental susceptibility to climate change and fostering economic resilience, particularly in vulnerable regions. In Africa, however, entrepreneurs in this sector face numerous barriers, including complex land tenure systems dominated by traditional authorities, access to funding, inconsistent consumer demand, and technological constraints. Through a qualitative participatory action research approach, this case study examined the lived experiences of agroecology entrepreneurs operating in South Africa, offering comprehensive insights for stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, green investors, and policymakers. The key findings isolated multi-stakeholder collaboration and public-private partnerships as essential in mitigating the identified challenges. These measures could target consumer awareness campaigns to bridge the “green gap” and align purchasing behaviours with sustainability goals. Subsidising green technologies for sustainable agroecology ventures is also necessary for overcoming technological limitations. The study offers a comprehensive approach to facilitating sustainable agroecology entrepreneurship in rural areas.https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EHASS2025652.pdfagroecologyenvironmental resiliencegreen entrepreneurshipsustainable rural economy
spellingShingle Ishmael Iwara
Beata Kilonzo
Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions
E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
agroecology
environmental resilience
green entrepreneurship
sustainable rural economy
title Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions
title_full Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions
title_fullStr Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions
title_full_unstemmed Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions
title_short Agroecology Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Rural Economy: Obstacles and Strategic Interventions
title_sort agroecology entrepreneurship for sustainable rural economy obstacles and strategic interventions
topic agroecology
environmental resilience
green entrepreneurship
sustainable rural economy
url https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/EHASS2025652.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT ishmaeliwara agroecologyentrepreneurshipforsustainableruraleconomyobstaclesandstrategicinterventions
AT beatakilonzo agroecologyentrepreneurshipforsustainableruraleconomyobstaclesandstrategicinterventions