Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
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New research gives innovation boost to farming in UK and India
Dr Suneel Kunamaneni, Senior Lecturer and theme leader for Retail Globalisation at the University’s Retail Institute, and Dr Alfred Chinta, MBA Course Director, are investigating the barriers to, and opportunities for, the development of entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector – the commercial production of food by farming – in both the UK and India.
The research is being supported by the Retail Institute.
The aim is to develop and support economic development in the two countries through entrepreneurship.
Dr Kunamaneni explained: “Despite developmental policies in India to provide employment to millions of unemployed rural youth, the problem remains that there is a surplus of agricultural labour and a lot of closure of traditional village industries.
“This is resulting in increased unemployment in rural areas and the migration of rural youth to urban areas - in turn leading to other social issues.
“In the UK - though agri-food is a powerhouse of the economy, and generates £103 billion - a NatWest Bank report has shown that millennial farmers are facing serious, unnecessary challenges impacting the entire industry.
“These include difficulty in accessing business skills and an inability to embrace new farming models.”
The research has been backed by a prestigious UK-India Education Research Initiative (UKIRI) award of £50,000 - funded by the British Council in the UK and the University Grants Commission (UGC) in India - and will see the Leeds Beckett team work in collaboration with partners in India, Professor Sharmistha Banerjee of the University of Calcutta, and Dr Mohua Banerjee of IMI Kolkatta.
Dr Kunamaneni said: “There is a real need for both a theoretical and practical investigation into the potential for entrepreneurial and innovation practices in both countries.
“India needs more agri-entrepreneurs in low-to-medium tech post-harvest handling (retaining shelf life and packaging) to provide more employment opportunities in rural areas.
“In the UK - where farming is seen as one of the least entrepreneurial sectors - there is an increasing attention on high-tech agriculture to help farmers avoid destruction, seize opportunities and compete with larger firms.”
Dr Alfred Chinta added: “Traditionally farmers in India were focused on operational skills, whereas the survival of businesses in the current scenario requires knowledge of customers and their supply chains.”
By contrasting the UK and Indian contexts, the new research aims to identify opportunities for mutual learning and support agri-food entrepreneurship through:
- Developing new business models based around producers (farmers)
- Developing new ways to support agri-entrepreneurs
- Making farming aspirational to young people
- Introducing new innovations in agri-food processing and packaging
Dr Kunamaneni added: “This research hopes to make a valuable new contribution to the practice of agri-food innovation and enterprise development by studying this in the context of both the UK and India.
“Global food challenges require a combined approach to sharing best practices. The research will help identify, design and promote innovation in business models and identify relevant entrepreneurial capacities needed in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive practices.
“We also aim to improve the social and economic wellbeing of the entrepreneurs and wider regions and countries.”