Small firms in the sustainable transformation of food industry: entangling entrepreneurship and activism in grassroots innovation processes

Abstract

International audienceThe literature in Social Movement Theory, Organization Studies and Entrepreneurship emphasizes on the linkages between social movement action and economic organization. Indeed, social entrepreneurship and social movement studies tend to be more and more linked: activists and social entrepreneurs do not represent separate and distinct actors with different logics of action, but tend to transfer their tactics, such as framing, mobilization, protest and negation. This paper explores how activism and entrepreneurship can be combined in an innovative way by small firms in order to contribute to an industry’s transformation towards sustainable development. We specially investigate the field of food industry and Alternative Food Networks. In a context of growing interest and sensitivity towards more sustainable food models, how do small firms combine activism and entrepreneurship to frame grassroots innovation processes and translate this frame into organizational model

Industrial Processes Management for a Sustainable Society: Global Research Analysis

“…On the other hand, human activity has brought environmental awareness in the median and the political and social agenda around the world [8,9]. Sustainability in this study refers to the reduction of negative impacts on environmental, social, and economic relations, in order to approach climate change, pollution, and resources' management [10][11][12].…”