Developing a local food business model and innovation framework: a systematic literature review

Local food production has been identified as a key lever for advancing sustainable and resilient food systems, yet its development remains limited in scope. To address this challenge, scholars have increasingly examined local food businesses through a business model (BM) perspective, which provides insights into producers’ value intentions and how they propose, create, deliver, and capture value. However, research on these BM components and their potential for innovation has thus far been fragmented and not comprehensively examined. In response, this study conducts a systematic literature review, selecting 44 articles in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Based on this review, the article proposes a local food BM and innovation framework, that includes (i) a comprehensive overview of BM components in the local food context, (ii) preconditions, approaches and 10 strategies for innovating local food BMs, and (iii) a discussion of the interdependencies and multidimensional relationships between BM components and innovation strategies. Finally, the article outlines future research directions and managerial implications to guide both scholars and practitioners in strengthening local food production and advancing the transition towards sustainable food systems.