Empirical Study on the Engagement in Urban Agriculture Introducing (TEM)

For this study, six social entrepreneurs both male and female were selected, with different backgrounds and stages of business development. We collected their detailed information and introduced trajectory equifinality model (TEM) to analyze these cases in depth. The results of this study show that entrepreneurs have a clear awareness of urban problems. Their perceptions and behaviors also changed significantly after they entered urban agriculture and kept on continuous learning, and social entrepreneurship (SE) developed greatly. Social capital (SC) is crucial for entrepreneurs, both men and women, to operate and develop their businesses. In addition, they can understand true needs of residents and improve business’ capacity to respond to challenges in innovative ways. In particular, female entrepreneurs showed great resilience and capacity for innovation. Although they are facing many difficulties in their agricultural business operations, they can increase their income and expand their business through family support and cooperation with external partners. Their efforts in agricultural sector may cause the changes in gender relations in rural sector.