Authors : Ralalandriamalay Ravo Heriniony; Razafindraibe Rolland; Dr. Razafimanantsoa Tojo; Dr. Solofoson Georges; Razafindrakoto Andriamanalina Notsimbinina

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/48k7ss64

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug1315

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Farmers’ Organizations (FOs) are increasingly recognized as key institutional actors in rural development, particularly through their contribution to the creation, consolidation, and sustainability of rural micro-enterprises (RMEs). By facilitating collective action and connecting small-scale producers with essential resources and services, these organizations can significantly influence the economic opportunities available to rural communities. This study assesses the influence of organizational capacity and access to economic services on the effectiveness of FOs in supporting RMEs. A mixed-methods research design was employed to combine empirical measurement with an in-depth understanding of organizational practices. The study covered 100 Farmers’ Organizations selected through proportional stratified sampling. Data were gathered using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and documentary analysis. Quantitative information was examined through descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression, while qualitative findings were used to enrich the interpretation of the quantitative results. The findings reveal a significant relationship between the organizational capacity of FOs, their access to economic services, and their effectiveness in supporting RMEs. Organizational capacity appears to be the most influential factor, particularly through leadership, governance, planning, financial management, human-resource development, and institutional coordination. Access to training, financial resources, technical assistance, and market information further strengthens the ability of FOs to provide relevant and sustainable support to rural enterprises. The study concludes that improving the sustainability of RMEs requires more than access to financial or technical resources alone. It calls for a complementary strategy that strengthens the institutional foundations of Farmers’ Organizations while improving their access to appropriate economic services. This integrated approach can contribute to resilient enterprises, inclusive rural economies, and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Keywords : Farmers’ Organizations; Organizational Capacity; Economic Services; Organizational Effectiveness; Rural Microenterprises; Rural Development.

References :

• Peasant Organizations and Rural Development

1. Ostrom, Elinor (1990). Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press.
2. Bebbington , Anthony (1999). Capitals and Capabilities: A Framework for Analyzing Peasant Viability, Rural Livelihoods and Poverty. World Development, 27(12), 2021–2044.
3. Putnam, Robert D. (1993). Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton University Press.
4. Woolcock, Michael (1998). Social Capital and Economics Development: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis and Policy Framework. Theory and Society, 27(2), 151–208.
5. Pretty, Jules (2003). Social Capital and the Collective Management of Resources. Science, 302(5652), 1912–1914.
6. North, Douglass C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press.
7. Food and Agriculture Organization (2014). The State of Food and Agriculture: Innovation in Family Farming. Rome: FAO.
8. Food and Agriculture Organization (2017). Farmer Organizations and Collective Action: Enhancing Market Access and Promoting Rural Development. Rome: FAO.
9. International Fund for Agricultural Development (2016). Rural Development Report 2016: Fostering Inclusive Rural Transformation. Rome: IFAD.
10. World Bank (2008). World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. Washington, DC.

• Organizational Capacities and Performance of Organizations

11. Barney, Jay B. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120.
12. Wernerfelt , Birger (1984). A Resource- Based View of the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5(2), 171–180.
13. Grant, Robert M. (1991). The Resource- Based Theory of Competitive Advantage. California Management Review, 33(3), 114–135.
14. Kaplan, Robert S. & Norton, David P. (1996). The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action. Harvard Business School Press.
15. Penrose, Edith (1959). The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Oxford University Press.
16. Mintzberg, Henry (1979). The Structuring of Organizations. Prentice Hall.
17. Daft, Richard L. (2021). Organization Theory and Design (13th ed .). Cengage Learning.

• Rural Entrepreneurship and Rural Micro-Enterprises

18. Drucker, Peter F. (1985). Innovation and Entrepreneurship. HarperBusiness.
19. International Labor Organization (2019). Small and Medium Enterprises and Decent Work in Rural Economies. Geneva.
20. Schumpeter, Joseph A. (1934). The Theory of Economics Development. Harvard University Press.
21. Hisrich, Robert D. , Peters, Michael P. & Shepherd, Dean A. (2020). Entrepreneurship (11th ed .). McGraw -Hill.
22. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (2019). Making Decentralization Work: A Handbook for Policy- Makers. OECD Publishing.
23. Scoones , Ian (1998). Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: A Framework for Analysis. IDS Working Paper No. 72.
24. Chambers, Robert & Conway, Gordon (1992). Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: Practical Concepts for the 21st Century. IDS Discussion Paper 296.

• Social Capital and Collective Action

25. Fukuyama, Francis (1995). Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity. FreePress
26. Granovetter , Mark (1985). Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness. American Journal of Sociology, 91(3), 481–510.
27. Coleman, James S. (1988). Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95–S120.

• Statistical Analysis and Methodology

28. Creswell, John W. & Plano Clark, Vicki L. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (3rd ed .). Sage.
29. Yin, Robert K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications (6th ed .). Wise.
30. Bryman, Alan (2016). Social Research Methods (5th ed .). Oxford University Press .
31. Kvale , Steinar & Brinkmann , Svend (2015). InterViews : Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing (3rd ed .). Wise.
32. Bardin, Laurence (2013). Content analysis. Paris: PUF.
33. Hair, Joseph F., Black, William C. , Babin, Barry J. & Anderson, Rolph E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis (8th ed.). Cengage.
34. Field, Andy (2018). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed .). Wise.
35. Tabachnick, Barbara G. & Fidell , Linda S. (2019). Using Multivariate Statistics (7th ed .). Pearson.
36. Cochran, William G. (1977). Sampling Techniques (3rd ed .). Wiley.
37. Kish, Leslie (1965). Survey Sampling. Wiley.
38. 38.              Montgomery, Douglas C. (2019). Design and Analysis of Experiments (10th ed .). Wiley.
39. Agresti, Alan (2018). Statistics Methods for the Social Sciences (5th ed .). Pearson.
40. Bowen, Glenn A. (2009). Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40.