Transcript Slide 1

Entrepreneurial Skills of Farmers
in Tuscany: Developing
independent attitudes
RC- 40 Miniconference Wageningen
August 2007
Antonella Ara; Mara Miele; Terry Marsden; Selyf
Morgan; Diego Pinducciu;
Cardiff University, Wales and Pisa University,
Tuscany
Entrepreneurship and Farmers
• Shifts in Policy instruments to support farmers
• Process of developing proactive attitudes among farmers
• Developing Entrepreneurial Skills identified as a
significant issue
EU ESoF: Developing the entrepreneurial skills
of farmers
www.esofarmers.org
6 Partners: UK, Italy, Finland, the
Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland
General Objective of the project:
To identify conditions (social, economic,
cultural and political) that can facilitate
the development of entrepreneurial
skills by farmers
Exploration of the significance of
entrepreneurship in Agriculture.
In this EU-project entrepreneurship is considered in terms
of entrepreneurial skills and these are used in a certain
context
• Entrepreneurial skills are connected to capabilities,
activities and tasks that are focused on starting,
developing and continuing a profitable business.
• These skills are seen as higher order abilities that are
deployed differentially to attain goals
The ESOF Typology: Farmer Business Strategies
and Entrepreneurial Skills
BULK
Farms without non-agricultural business concentrating on primary production
Added Value
Farms without non-agricultural business engaging in value adding activities (e.g.
processing, niche marketing)
Non-Food Diversification
Farms with non-agricultural business (any non-food business)
3 sets of skills examined:
• Creating and Evaluating a Business Strategy
• Networking and Utilising Contacts
• Recognising and Realising Opportunities
Illustrating skills assessment: networking skills
Are you good at networking and utilising contacts?
Is this one of the most important skills, from your
own perspective?
1. Interviewee report of own skill in networking and utilizing
contacts
2. References by interviewee to networking and/or contact
utilization : what kind of networking/contact utilization?
3. Reference to the purposes or reasons for networking or
utilizing contacts, or about how networking or utilizing
contacts should be done
4. References to the importance of these skills
• Self Presentation; Interpretation; Comparison between
groups
Example: Good Networking Skills
Bulk
AV
Diversification
Nature of
networks and
contacts
/environment
Farmer Trade
Unions
Associations
organisations,
Cooperatives
Female Association,
farmers’ markets, farmbusiness, Sales
Association, Organic
Association,
Farm and agritouristic business,
several actors from
civil society
Purposes
Solutions to
common
problems:
marketing,
selling,
innovation
systems,
findings, prices
Marketing, selling,
exchange opinions,
suggestions, innovation
systems, common
findings, short chain,
Improve selling,
agri-tourism,
growth of the area,
promoting activities
of diversification,
activate Projects;
Farmer Appreciation of Strategy
• ‘We adapt. We check what there is to be done - it isn’t something
planned....but how can you plan agricultural production?...Our
dimensions (farm size) is small…’ (Farmer 4; NFD)
• ‘I pursued and am still pursuing a strategy to develop this farm and
be able to keep on with this job…if I had continued with the same
farm I had in 1997 and previous years today for sure I wouldn’t be
here farming. The strategy I selected instead allows me to continue
and my future perspectives are not so dark’ (Farmer 6;Bulk)
• ‘I store data on milk and cheese production for the year. The
following one I verify what I did the previous one, so its not a real
strategy…I just know what I’ve done and if things are well I keep on
along the same way….We have in mind the idea of increasing the
number of goats, but there is no real strategy. If this year 20 female
goats are born then we increase by 20; if only 10 are born, we
increase by 10..’ (Farmer 10; Bulk)
Farmer Appreciation of Opportunities
Strategy coherent with local opportunities
• ‘I have a business strategy, which is (about) how
external eyes see our image…I’ve always been
convinced that any business…working in a social context
necessarily highlights its original area. In this case we
are in Tuscany and it’s obvious that you need to refer to
your farm products. In this way you can create synergies
with other businesses..’ (Farmer 1; NFD)
Strategy Coherent with values and visions
• ‘To be successful you need also to know yourself,
because what you want is the basis or destiny of your
life’ (Farmer 16)
Opportunism and Visions
• ‘..here mutifunctionality of farms is more alive that in
other places…farming is connected to the territory
here..with tourism…local administrations are very happy
to incentivise us.’(Farmer 9, VA)
• ‘To be successful you need also to know yourself,
because what you want is the basis or destiny of your
life’ (Farmer 16)
Farmer as Entrepreneurs in Tuscany
The ‘Tuscan Model’: Main Features include:
– A concentration of small and medium sized farms
– An emphasis on quality products
– Diversification in agricultural production and, to some
degree a greater appreciation of the role of women in
this
– Developed marketing networks both locally and
internationally
– Good quality physical environment and a valued
agricultural landscape that is integrated into the agrifood offer
Practical indications of Tuscan Model
• 10 PDOs
• 9 PGIs
– with a value in 2003 of around 100 million Euro
• Over 451 traditional products; processing, preserving
and maturing methods carried on the territory for a
period of at least 25 years’ (ARSIA)
• Direct selling on farm, farmers’ markets,
• Wine routes
• Purchasing consumer groups
• Organic farming - 9% of the farmed land
• Agri-tourism- on-farm tourist accommodation (3 250
farms)
• Educational farms, Social-care farms
The Role of the Tuscan Region
The Rural Development Plan in Tuscany strongly promote
new forms of Multi-functional agriculture and
diversification
– Agri-tourism and Care activities
– Organic agriculture
– Specialised Agriculture (olive oil and wine production,
PDO/PGI Traditional/typical products)
– International markets for niche products
– Environmental concerns