Social Media for Enhancing Innovation in Agri-food and Rural Development: Current Dynamics in Ontario, Canada

In this paper, findings suggest that the uptake of social media is still in an early, exploratory phase associated with modest opportunities and relevant limitations of Web 2.0 mediated multi-stakeholder collaboration. Notably, there are gaps in giving and receiving feedback which are intrinsic to dyadic communication as well as innovation processes. Limitations identified include (a) conflicting perceptions among stakeholders about the use, risk, credibility and institutional incentives associated with social media, and (b) lack of capacity that enables use and development of appropriate social media applications. The paper concludes by summarizing the importance of autonomous, user-oriented applications of Web 2.0 tools in agri-food and rural systems.