Impacts of Agricultural Businesses and Cooperatives on Rural Communities

The rapid expansion of communication networks and digitalization is transforming rural areas, creating new opportunities for economic growth and entrepreneurship. Agricultural businesses and cooperatives are emerging as key drivers of this change, shaping local economies while fostering innovation, youth engagement, and female entrepreneurship. At the same time, the growing pressures of climate change and resource depletion demand a shift toward more sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. In this evolving landscape, sustainable farming and cooperative entrepreneurship offer a pathway to strengthen rural communities, protect biodiversity, and build more inclusive and future-ready economies. Impacts of Agricultural Businesses and Cooperatives on Rural Communities explores how the strategies, operations, and practices of rural enterprises and agricultural cooperatives shape local communities. Through an interdisciplinary lens, this book critically examines how communication networks and digitalization are transforming the rural business environment and redefining the role of these organizations, highlighting their contributions to sustainable socio-economic development at the local level. Covering topics such as climate resilience in agribusiness, livestock production, and technological innovations, this book is an excellent academic resource for graduate and doctoral students, agricultural entrepreneurs, agribusiness professionals, cooperative managers, NGOs, policy makers, development practitioners, and more.

Sotiris Apostolopoulos is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Development at the University of Neapolis (Paphos, Cyprus). He also acts as academic Director of the Undergraduate Programs in Business Administration & Digital Business of the Department of Economics and Business for the same University. He holds a PhD degree from the School of Management of University of the Peloponnese and two Master’s degrees (MSc) in Healthcare Administration and in Finance as well. He specialises in rural entrepreneurship, EU policies and the socio-economic development of the rural areas with emphasis on private and social health enterprises. His research interests focus on local development, European policies, private and social enterprises as well as on innovation. He has many years’ experience working in the management of private companies. He served as Head of Communication and Public Relations of the Marketing Department of the Rehabilitation & Recovery Center “Diaplasis” in Greece and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the largest regional private hospital “City Hospital” of the Peloponnese Region. His research articles have been published in major scientific journals (ABS*3) by publishers such as Elsevier, Wiley, Emerald, MDPI, while he has participated in studies that were included and published as book chapters in edited volumes (IGI Global, Emerald, UCL Press, Eburon, etc.). In parallel, he has taken part through research work in international and European conferences on Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation held in Greece, Cyprus, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Montenegro. Recently, the World Health Organization included in its official database two research papers of Sotiris (co author), concerning the rural health enterprises during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nicholas Theodorakopoulos is Professor of Entrepreneurship Development at the School of Economics, Administration & Computer Science of Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus. Prior to this role, Nicholas Theodorakopoulos was Professor of Entrepreneurship Development at Aston Business School (triple accredited: AACSB, AMBA & EQUIS) of Aston University in Birmingham, UK, where he served as a member of the School’s Senior Management Team in the capacities of Associate Dean (International) and Head of the Work and Organisation Department. Formerly, he was Academic Deputy Director of the Goldman Sachs ‘10,000 Small Businesses’ programme at Aston University. His specialist areas of teaching, research, and industry engagement include strategic entrepreneurship, learning & development, change management & innovation, and diversity & inclusion. Nicholas Theodorakopoulos has received substantial financial support from various bodies, including the European Commission, Economic & Social Research Council, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Leicestershire Learning and Skills Council, Centre for Enterprise, and UK Trade and Investment, to examine entrepreneurship in different contexts and deliver impact. Apart from contributing to a number of books and special issues as an editor, his research papers have won prizes in international conferences and have been published in reputable academic journals (highly rated by the Chartered Association of Business Schools), including the British Journal of Management, Human Resource Management, Public Administration, Work, Employment and Society, International Small Business Journal, and Technovation. Nicholas Theodorakopoulos is an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and over the years, he has been a Visiting Professor at academic institutions based in different countries, including India, Italy, France, and Greece. His experience and engagement with industry span the private, public, and third sectors in the UK and far beyond.

Nikolaos Apostolopoulos is an Associate Professor in European Policies in Sustainability, Development and Entrepreneurship at the University of Peloponnese and Director of the Laboratory of European Sustainable Development Policies. He also acts as a Scientific Advisor at the Labour Institute of the General Confederation of Greek Employees (INE-GSEE) and he participates at the European Trade Unions Institute. He has participated in more than 10 funding initiatives of the EU Structural Funds. Among these initiatives, he was co-author of a report on the impact of the Europe 2020 strategy on the Greek economy funded by the EU Structural Funds. Moreover, he is a key researcher of a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Governance at the University of Peloponnese. He has published numerous articles in leading academic journals. He is co-editor of 3 edited volumes and co-author of 4 books and was successfully a co-applicant of the Enterprise Educators UK research while he is currently working through this grant on entrepreneurship education and sustainable development. Furthermore, his research publications focus on entrepreneurship and sustainability. He has published in leading journal such as the Journal of Rural Studies, Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, Economic and Business Letters. Finally, he is an advisor in entrepreneurship and employability at the rehabilitation centre “Amaltheia”. He acts as an expert of economic growth at SAYWA project “Legal Boundaries of Work between Peru and Bolivia” which is funded by EuropeAid programme – Investing in people. He is also a co-guest editor of a special issue entitled “Entrepreneurship and the European Union policies after 60 years of common European vision: regional and spatial perspectives” launched by the Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.