Networking, cooperation, and attracting young people to rural areas were among the pearls found in the Latvian innovation cases. The cases deal with holistic farm advice, better and cheaper maintenance of cattle, promoting youth entrepreneurship and supporting entrepreneurs as such in rural areas.

Pearls

Networks Are Important

In the case of giving farmers holistic advice during the world economic crisis, good relations to the Ministry of Agriculture helped the project get started in an expedient manner. Part of the project of promoting youth entrepreneurship in rural areas was to create a network among the participants. Likewise, in the case of supporting entrepreneurs in rural areas, the good connecting skills of the regional advisor made a big difference for the outcome of the project.

All are examples of the importance of networks and networking abilities.

Cooperation

The more than two eyes approach, i.e. the realization that working together can bring better outcomes to the client, is an important lesson in innovation processes as is the ability to involve many actors from different sectors.

Finally, to have advisors with different professional backgrounds work together for the farmer is also to the advantage of the farmer as demonstrated in the project of holistic farm advice. Attention not only to technical issues but to all things going on at the farm, including the financial side of the business, makes for better advice for the farmer.

Youth entrepreneurship presented in the spiral of innovations, a tool for capturing observations

Important to Attract Young People

As the promotion of youth entrepreneurship shows, it is a good idea to focus on young people when revitalizing rural areas. And when doing so, it is important to cater to the interests of young people. Thus, organizing a business plan competition every year to make the youth participate in the training is an excellent idea.

The Farmers Play an Important Role

To start the innovation process and move it along, it requires the presence of pressure from strong farmers. In the case of the herbivorous project, seeking better and cheaper maintenance of cattle, the farmers participate in the competency board, which is the decision making body of the project.

Puzzles

  • Does the Latvian advisory service change its work processes to maintain learning that cooperation in teams is better?
  • How does the competency board take care of the interests of the different farmers?
  • What type of farms, or farmers, are chosen to participate in the herbivorous project?
  • Are experienced farmers used for assistance and training of the young entrepreneurs?
  • How are the farmers informed of the project supporting entrepreneurs in rural areas?

Proposals

  • If the strategy is to involve more small and medium size farmers in the herbivorous project, an approach should be developed for this?
  • Build up the network of participants and associations of farmers and entrepreneurs in the youth entrepreneurship project.
  • Attract people with business development skills for the project supporting entrepreneurs in rural areas.

Read the Latvian Cross Visit report.

Read more about the Latvian Cross Visit.