Relationship between the family farmers’ entrepreneurial spirit and innovation

Abstract

The entrepreneurial and innovative behavior of the small rural producer has been considered a way of boosting the sector and advancing research in rural studies. Given this scenario, analyzing the relationship between the entrepreneurial behavior of the small family farmer and innovation is an unexplored challenge in the literature. In order to shed light on this relationship, we conducted a systematic literature review by analyzing 100 of the most prominent articles published in the last decade (2010–2021) to answer how international scientific production is characterized and analyze the relationship between the entrepreneurial spirit of the family farmer and innovation. Our findings revealed expressive intermediaries that address the aforementioned correlation, expressing the centrality and intensity of the relationship between the terms of the formed textual corpus. By structuring and detailing the intellectual contribution of this study, it is possible to advance the knowledge on emerging themes. Understanding the innovative behavior of rural producers brings companies, universities, and governments closer to the reality of farmers, enabling projects designed for rural development to be implemented.