• Economy
    Jun 09, 2022

    Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: A Framework for Local Economic Development in Lebanon

    • Lina S. Maddah
    Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas: A Framework for Local Economic Development in Lebanon

     

    Necessity-driven entrepreneurs (NDEs) are individuals who start microbusinesses out of economic necessity and to compensate for a lack of other job opportunities. These businesses constitute a large portion of informal employment in Lebanon and struggle with precarious work conditions, especially in rural areas. Still, this form of entrepreneurship provides a much-needed source of livelihood for a large number of Lebanese families during the crises.  

     

     

    In this brief, LCPS Economic Researcher Lina S. Maddah highlights the common challenges confronting NDEs, and outlines targeted actions to reduce the economic, socio-cultural, and financial barriers facing entrepreneurs, particularly in rural areas. Her analysis is based on an understanding of the rural entrepreneurship context, growth dynamics of low-density economies, the role of local institutions, and entrepreneurial cultures. The brief concludes by proposing effective economic policy measures to promote rural NDE activities and economic growth.

    Lina S. Maddah is a Senior Economic Researcher at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. Her areas of work include Urban and Regional Economics, Firm Dynamics, Spatial Economic Analysis, Cultural and Creative Industries, and Local Entrepreneurship Ecosystems. Lina holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Economics at the Lebanese American University.
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