Do agrifood SMEs survive differently across value chain segments and regions? Evidence from a cross-regional survival analysis

Purpose SMEs are central to agrifood innovation yet often struggle to remain viable. This study examines whether survival outcomes for agrifood SMEs differ across value-chain segments or regions. The aim is to determine whether structural differences translate into distinct exit risks or whether shared system-wide constraints produce similar survival patterns. Design/methodology/approach Firm-level data from Crunchbase are used to construct survival histories for agrifood SMEs in Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Kaplan-Meier estimators compare exit timing across value-chain segments and regions, while Cox proportional hazards models test whether value-chain segments or geographic context significantly influence exit risk, controlling for firms’ founding year. Findings Descriptive statistics and Kaplan–Meier curves indicate that food processing SMEs exhibit slightly better survival performance than AgriTech and BioTech. Regional survival patterns across Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom are similar, with limited variation in exit rates. Log-rank tests and Cox models further show that neither industry segment nor regional context significantly affects exit hazards after controlling for firm entry year. These findings suggest that agrifood SMEs may face systemic constraints that limit variation in survival outcomes across sectors and regions. Research limitations/implications This study relies on secondary firm-level data from Crunchbase, which may underrepresent smaller or informal agrifood SMEs, particularly in developing contexts. Exit events are inferred from observed status changes and do not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary exits. While the analysis controls for firms' entry year, unobserved heterogeneity related to managerial quality, financing conditions, and policy exposure may remain. These limitations imply that future research should combine administrative or survey data with qualitative evidence to better identify the mechanisms shaping agrifood SME survival. Originality/value Research on agrifood SME survival is limited and largely context specific. This study addresses this gap by providing comparative evidence across segments and regions, investigating whether structural or institutional differences meaningfully shape survival within the agrifood system.