Entrepreneurship

Integrating qualities 
and competencies
It is the combination 
of competencies that 
enable the farmer-
entrepreneur  to take 
advantage of new 
business opportunities 

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own  
resources
Potential  
new resources
New business opportunity
Entrepreneurial 
qualities
Entrepreneurial 
competencies
managerial 
competencies
Technical 
competencies
The farmer-
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurial qualities 
67
aN INTEgRaTED RESPoNSE
An  entrepreneurial  farmer  responds  to  the  changes 
affecting the farming environment by combining farming 
competences  and  entrepreneurial  competencies  with 
the resources available to them. He combines them to 
develop  and  implement  a  new  business  opportunity  – 
whether it is an improvement to his current programme 
or entering into a new venture or market.
Entrepreneurial 
farmers combines 
technical skills,  
entrepreneurial 
competencies and 
their resources to 
develop new business 
opportunities
Figure 8
Entrepreneurs 
combine competencies 
with new ideas and 
resources to develop 
new business 
opportunities

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68                                                  
Entrepreneurship in farming
Entrepreneurship 
combines 
personal qualities 
with knowledge 
and technical 
and management 
competencies.
Entrepreneurial creativity: using a low cost irrigation hose as an alternative to 
constructing canals – Bangladesh
©F
AO/ 
Giampiero Diana/ 
22862
Entrepreneurial initiative: A farmer using his tractor also as a transport service – 
Myanmar
©F
AO/ 
Giuseppe Bizzarri/ 
19725
Technical knowledge and competency are also necessary skills for sustainable crop 
production – irrigation hoses help transport water from the Waste Water Treatment 
Plant in Jordan
©IF
AD/ 
Lana Slezic

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Entrepreneurial qualities 
69
While qualities 
may be inborn, 
knowledge and 
competencies 
can be improved 
by capacity 
development 
programmes
A field level extension training. An extension worker facilitating a session on farm 
planning – Egypt 
©F
AO/ 
Giulio Napolitano/ 24691_0522
An extension worker as facilitator. Farmer to farmer learning - Kyrgyzstan
©F
AO/ Sergey Kozmi/ 24754_0076
Entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into profitable businesses. Farmers 
testing the functionality of their new investment - Mexico
© 
Fonseca/ 
CIMMYT

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70                                                  
Entrepreneurship in farming