The Impact of Social Innovation: Benefits for the Rural Area of Varzedo, Bahia

Fábio Francisco Pinheiro de Freitas, Valdir Silva da Conceição, Angela Machado Rocha

Public policy, Social technology, Rural development.

Innovation is related to the creation of new products, services, or the improvement of existing ones. Social Innovation (SI) concerns an intervention that seeks a new solution to a social problem, creating values for the assisted community, integrating people in the search for a result that satisfies those, directly and indirectly, involved in achieving the generated product, in addition, to establish inter-organizational and personal cooperation between activities and the creation of social innovation. This article aims to identify and analyze the effects of SI developed and directed to the rural population of Varzedo, Bahia. The methodology used was exploratory, descriptive, case study, and field research. Initially, a bibliographic review was carried out on the subject, with legislative and jurisprudential consultation, theses, and articles on specialized websites. Subsequently, visits were made to the rural region of the city, where the local way of life, its actors, and difficulties were witnessed. The results show that the radical and frugal SIs led to sustainable development and social change, generating employment, fixing the man in the countryside, and meeting the aspirations of the assisted population.

Received: 10 Dec 2021, Received in revised form: 15 Jan 2022, Accepted: 22 Jan 2022, Available online: 31 Jan 2022

10.22161/ijaers.91.30