Social Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and its Implications for new Subject Matters in Educational Curriculum
Abstract
This article develops the innovative dimension of social entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector. Social entrepreneurship appears as an important driver in the European economy and focusing on the agricultural sector it heads toward new opportunities mainly through its impact on social integration and rural development.
European agriculture is facing new socio-economic changes, including a transition from an agriculture-based to a service-based economy. One of the important factors in these changes is the focus on the notion of multifunctional agriculture on one side and social entrepreneurship and innovation in social sector on the other.
Combination of these two sectors, so-called social farming, asks for new ways in social entrepreneur education and practice that emerge the social or not-for-profit side as well as on agricultural market oriented side. This paper presents a basic framework of social entrepreneurship and of social farming and also shows the necessity of new approaches in study curriculum development, both formal and informal, for social farmers that play the role of change agents by adopting a mission to create sustainable social values and other positive externalities.