Inclusive businesses (IBs) resonate with policymakers seeking to leverage private capital in support of poverty alleviation and sustainable development. In the agri-food sector, which represents the largest segment of the base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) market and a key source of livelihood for the rural poor, there is limited evidence on their diversity and social value creation mechanisms. This prevents practitioners from identifying impactful IB types and design features. A statistical analysis of 46 cases in Tanzania and Ghana identified four IB types: (1) self-reliant agribusinesses, (2) domestic plantation companies, (3) social enterprises, and (4) locally-embedded Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Our findings suggest that socially-driven and localized IBs hold high impact potential but require significant external support, while more self-sufficient IBs adopt less socially innovative designs. This study demonstrates the utility of a data-driven approach to capture the complexity of real-world IBs, which yielded practical insights for more effective poverty alleviation through business means.

Has remote work post-pandemic expanded the influence of Nordic capitals on surrounding towns? Through case studies in five Nordic towns, the report focused on how remote work opportunities influence small-town attractiveness, population retention, and planning strategies. It explores the effects on populations, urban-rural landscapes, and planning needs.

Igangværende forskningsprojekt
I et Danmark under forandring med voksende urbanisering, større kommuner, lukning af lokale forretninger og virksomheder samt centralisering af offentlige institutioner inden for politi, domstole, sygehuse og kommunale velfærdsinstitutioner (skoler, børneinstitutioner, ældrecentre), argumenteres der ofte for, at civilsamfundet er en kraft, der kan holde liv i og skabe udvikling i landdistrikterne. Omvendt diskuteres det også, hvilken betydning netop urbanisering, erhvervsliv og offentlige institutioner har for civilsamfundet.

Dette forskningsprojekt tager afsæt i den antagelse, at civilsamfundet kan have en positiv betydning for lokal udvikling i landdistrikter, men det afhænger af omfanget og karakteren af samspillet mellem civilsamfundet og det omkringliggende samfund.

This study investigates the role of remote work in enhancing the resilience of rural and remote municipalities in the Nordic countries, highlighting the shift towards hybrid work models.
The report presents six case studies, each detailing the context, challenges and opportunities associated with remote work. The study found that many public authorities lack formal remote work policies, relying on pre-existing or pandemic-developed frameworks aimed at work-life balance.

This policy brief addresses the challenges and opportunities of the green transition in Nordic rural areas, emphasizing the need for more fair approaches. It underscores the significance of involving local communities in renewable energy projects.

Waste management in the northern latitudes is often more challenging than in the more central regions. Under the Arctic climate conditions with large distances between settlements and to the recycling facilities, and relatively smaller markets and volume of produced waste, there are special needs for developing new innovative solutions for waste management.

This storymap highlights the Fragile Communities project in Búðardalur, a small town in Dalir, Iceland. The project aimed to prevent the decline of remote municipalities through community empowerment and tourism development. It encourages local participation in addressing issues like housing and infrastructure, and seeks to improve local well-being and identity through workshops, grants, and cooperative projects. It also details Dalir’s unique approach to adapting to population decline and the importance of community mobilization and identity rediscovery.

I 2018 blev der iværksat en større undersøgelse af friluftslivet hos den del af befolkningen, som bor på landet. Undersøgelsens overordnede mål var at afklare, indholdet og organiseringen af lokale frivillige natur- og friluftsaktiviteter og hvilke aktører der sætter sådanne i værk og med hvilke motiver.

Denne slutrapport opsummerer de vigtigste resultater fra undersøgelsen. Opsummeringen foretages med udgangspunkt i tre videnskabelige artikler, som tilgår undersøgelsens forskningsspørgsmål og formål på forskellig måde. De tre artikler er publiceret i de tre internationale tidsskrifter: 1) Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 2) Rural Sociology og 3) Geoforum. Desuden
indgår der i opsummeringen en række ikke-publicererede resultater fra analyser foretaget i forbindelse med udarbejdelsen af de tre artikler.

This working paper is a part of the project “Early Career Mobility in the Nordic Region”. The project explores current migration aspirations and associated factors of young people in the Nordic region. The study is conducted under the Nordic Thematic Group for Green, Innovative and Resilient Regions (2021 – 2024).

Dette hæfte handler om muligheder for at sikre den lokale dagligvarebutik i små samfund. Lukning af købmandsbutikken gør ondt, men centraliserende mekanismer i samfundet har alligevel fået det sidste ord mange steder. Man kan miste muligheden for at gøre de daglige indkøb og en livsnerve som mødested – og det vil påvirke bosætningen i landsbyerne i negativ retning med selvforstærkende virkning. I de seneste år har en del landsbysamfund valgt at bryde den spiral ved selv at tage ejerskab til forretningerne. Ofte er det foregået i samarbejde med Dagrofa-koncernen, som har oplyst, at de har medvirket i 100 eksempler. I Coop-regi ses ligeledes eksempler på redninger af dagligvareforsyningen gennem et samarbejde med borgerne. Men hertil kommer et ukendt antal løsninger, hvor borgerne uafhængigt af de store koncerner selv tager hånd om deres dagligvarebutik.