Title: Role of an entrepreneur for innovating regional agriculture: through a case of a Japanese ice cream firm

Authors: Makoto Hirano

Addresses: Graduate School of Engineering Management, Shibaura-Institute of Technology, 3-7-5 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8548, Japan

Abstract: This paper describes a certain entrepreneur who established a local ice cream firm in Japan. The detailed analysis shows us that he played a role for innovating regional agriculture and vitalising stagnated regional society. Because he knows well about market needs on processed foods using regional agriculture products, he could educate regional farmers and could instruct them to right way fitting to market demand. By collaborating with the entrepreneur, the regional farmers have been vitalised and changed regional agriculture. The entrepreneur has a strong hometown feeling and solidarity/loyalty for regional community. The detailed observation on the process of growth of entrepreneur and his business history indicates mutual influence between entrepreneur and regional community. To grow such a capable entrepreneur who contributes to regional industry/society, accumulating social capital by regional people might be important. The case infers positive circulation of social capital between entrepreneur and community.

Keywords: local communities; processed foods; entrepreneurship; networking; innovation; regional agriculture; case study; Japan; ice cream firms; farmers; collaboration; social capital.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2016.078717

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2016 Vol.29 No.2, pp.322 - 337

Received: 28 Jan 2015
Accepted: 01 Dec 2015
Published online: 01 Sep 2016 *

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