What the study found
The review found that hybrid practices combining social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship in agri-food systems were associated with socio-environmental resilience for rural producers. The abstract says these practices worked best when they were embedded in favorable institutional environments and supported by public policies and legal frameworks.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings offer practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners designing integrated rural development strategies. The study suggests that cross-sector collaboration and enabling institutional conditions matter for long-term sustainability of hybrid agri-food initiatives.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out a systematic review using PRISMA 2020 methodology. They characterized social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship practices, assessed their effects across sustainability dimensions, and identified success factors and barriers in agri-food initiatives.
What worked and what didn't
The review found more studies on social innovation than on sustainable entrepreneurship, with cases from Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Reported benefits included social inclusion, community empowerment, market access, income diversification, and improved environmental practices; facilitating factors included collaborative governance, local leadership, and the ability to combine different resources. Barriers included regulatory frameworks that did not fit the initiatives, reliance on external funding, and tensions between economic and socio-environmental goals.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe study-level quality limits or detailed evaluation criteria beyond the review approach. It also notes that the evidence base was more developed for social innovation than for sustainable entrepreneurship.
Key points
- The review linked hybrid social innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship practices to socio-environmental resilience in rural agri-food settings.
- Reported benefits included social inclusion, community empowerment, market access, income diversification, and better environmental practices.
- Key facilitators were collaborative governance, local leadership, and the ability to combine heterogeneous resources.
- Main barriers included poorly adapted regulations, dependence on external funding, and tensions between economic and socio-environmental goals.
- The evidence base was larger for social innovation than for sustainable entrepreneurship.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Hybrid agri-food practices support rural producer resilience
- Authors:
- Esther Reyna Molina, María Xóchitl Astudillo Miller, Yanik I. Maldonado-Astudillo, Ricardo Salazar
- Institutions:
- Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- GBOLO STEPHEN, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
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