Networking private entrepreneurs in rural areas – social capital or waste of time?

Abstract

In debates on rural development, attention has often been directed toward the role of the agricultural sector and its relations to the state, subsidy programs and voluntary associations. However, we should not forget the importance of innovative private entrepreneurs outside agriculture. These people tend to invest a lot of time and energy in building local and supra-local social capital. Using case studies from rural Denmark, this paper critically explores under which circumstances private entrepreneurs’ social networks can be transformed into veritable social capital.