Discovering Innovation, Social Capital and Farm Viability in the Framework of the United Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos

Abstract

In this study, we aim to explore the possible relationships between innovation, social capital, and farm viability towards sustainability, using indicators from the literature and developing complex indexes for all examined concepts in the framework of an agriculture cooperative located on the Greek island of Samos. Data from the United Winemaking Agricultural Cooperative of Samos (UWC SAMOS) were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and further personal in-depth interviews. The findings revealed a highly complex relationship between these indexes that could not just be analyzed quantitatively. Instead, qualitative data explain the weak innovation and low level of social trust by identifying the “institutionalization of the members of the cooperative”, emphasizing the importance of mixed methods approaches.

Keywords

• pro-innovative behavior
• trust
• farm viability
• cooperative
• Samos Island