Study clubs on entrepreneurship in dairy farming ('Dairy Cafés')

General introduction

ILVO's "entrepreneur scan" for farms is tested in this project for its usefulness in practice. Is this tool effective for stimulating entrepreneurship in dairy farming? The "entrepreneur scan" separates sustainable entrepreneurship in Flemish agriculture and horticulture into separate themes: Vision-Strategy, Planning-Organization-Monitoring-Evaluation, Networking-Collaboration, Risk Management, Opportunity Recognition and Exploitation-Pro-Activeness, Searching and Learning Behaviour, Innovation, and Craftsmanship. After validation, the ultimate goal of this research is to make the scan available to extension workers and study clubs in agriculture and horticulture, where it can be used to guide companies toward sustainability.

Research approach

Since 2009, the Division of Monitoring and Study (AMS) of the Flemish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries organizes study clubs ('Dairy Cafés') with some 20 dairy farmers from East Flanders and Antwerp. In the Dairy Cafés, the farmers discuss the economic, ecological and social aspects of sustainability. The Dairy Café for Entrepreneurship serves to test and evaluate the "entrepreneur scan". Furthermore, the Dairy Cafés for Entrepreneurship are used to evaluate the suitability of this scan as an instrument for 'co-learning' in study clubs.  

Relevance/Valorisation

One of the priorities of Flemish agricultural policy is to stimulate entrepreneurship in agriculture and horticulture. The present research falls under the motto "Farmer=Entrepreneur²" introduced by the Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Area of the Government of Flanders. Developing this "entrepreneur scan" and testing its application in study clubs helps to improve the entrepreneurial skills of Flemish farmers and horticulturists.