Business model innovation in the agri-food sector: a literature review

What is it about?

Because the business model (BM) is a fairly new concept, research is lacking on business model innovation in certain industry sectors such as the agri-food sector. Using a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles published from 1990 to 2014, the purpose of this paper is to examine the where, when, and how of the use of business models and business model innovation in the agri-food sector.

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Why is it important?

Using categories, the paper analyses various data about the selected articles. The categories include research settings, units of analysis, methodologies, and theories. Based on this analysis, the paper finds that these agri-food sector articles are primarily qualitative, empirical studies that focus on one or a few companies (i.e. case studies). The paper also finds that theory is not yet well-developed in the research on the agri-food sector. This paper addresses that gap with its review of relevant articles published in more than 300 journals in recent years. Based on this review, the paper draws conclusions about business model innovation in the agri-food sector and offers suggestions for future research.