Mapping and Innovating Business Models of Food Hubs in Short Food Supply Chains

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) offer sustainable alternatives to conventional food systems (CFSCs) but require effective intermediaries to scale and remain competitive. Food Hubs (FHs) serve this role by enhancing SFSC efficiency and market reach while upholding community‐oriented values. However, limited research has examined how FHs design and innovate their business models (BMs) that enable scaling without compromising their mission‐driven goals. This study addresses this gap through an exploratory multiple‐case analysis of six Swedish FHs using a BM framework. It provides the first comprehensive empirical investigation of FH BM components, i.e., value intention, proposition, creation and delivery, and capture, and FHs' business model innovation (BMI) strategies. The findings reveal both shared and context‐specific BM elements and propose a conceptual framework outlining the core value‐related components and BMI strategies of FHs. The study contributes to sustainable SFSC research by offering theoretical and practical insights for designing and scaling resilient, mission‐oriented intermediaries in local food systems.