Intertwining innovation and business networks for sustainable agricultural systems: A case study of carbon-neutral beef

Joao Mota, Jose Novais Santos and Raissa Alencar

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2023, vol. 190, issue C

Abstract: Increasing concerns about climate change and sustainability have been a major challenge for corporations and governments, translating into initiatives to help reduce the environmental impact of economic activities. Innovation networks involving several actors have promoted the adoption of sustainable practices in a deliberate and concerted manner. From a network perspective, initiatives promoted by an innovation network must be incorporated into the existing business network. This study aims to understand how and to what extent innovation and business networks are intertwined to foster sustainable practices in agricultural systems. Therefore, a study of the Carbon Neutral Beef initiative was conducted, which resulted in the development and adoption of standards that ensure carbon balance by integrating livestock and forest production systems. This study supports the notion that the viability of initiatives promoted by an innovation network depends on its overlap with the existing business network. Additionally, the intertwining process may differ in the degree to which it is controlled, thus influencing the exploration and dissemination of integrated practices involving livestock and forest production systems.

Keywords: Sustainability; Business network; Innovation network; Agricultural innovation systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162523001142
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:190:y:2023:i:c:s0040162523001142

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122429

Access Statistics for this article

Technological Forecasting and Social Change is currently edited by Fred Phillips

More articles in Technological Forecasting and Social Change from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().