The role of female social entrepreneurs in advancing environmental sustainability and community empowerment in organic agriculture: a case study of California's Central Coast

Abstract

This thesis investigates the role of female social entrepreneurs in advancing sustainability and community development through organic agriculture on California’s Central Coast. In particular, it explores how these women navigate institutional, economic, and cultural barriers while contributing to environmental stewardship, local empowerment, and policy advocacy. Social entrepreneurship offers an alternative model to traditional business by prioritizing social and environmental goals alongside economic viability. Within this framework, female social entrepreneurs play a critical but under-recognized role, often innovating in sectors that intersect with community welfare, sustainability, and inclusive development. 10 Yet, their contributions remain insufficiently explored in academic literature—particularly in agriculture, a sector often dominated by male narratives and market-driven analysis. This study uses a feminist and ecological lens to analyze seventeen oral history interviews with women who helped shape California’s organic agriculture movement. These narratives, drawn from the University of California, Santa Cruz’s “Cultivating a Movement” project, offer rich insights into how gender, activism, and entrepreneurship intersect in practice. The findings highlight the ways in which these women fostered resilient local food systems, advocated for more equitable policies, and redefined leadership within their communities. By centering the lived experiences of female social entrepreneurs, this research contributes to scholarly debates in feminist entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and institutional theory. It also provides practical insights into how gender-informed entrepreneurship can serve as a catalyst for systemic change in environmentally and socially complex sectors. Ultimately, this thesis argues that female-led social enterprises are instrumental in creating inclusive, sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges. Their work not only transforms local ecosystems and economies but also challenges dominant models of entrepreneurship that prioritize scale over social value.