Responsible business modelling for sustainability transitions: experiences in the German agri-food sector

Abstract

Business modelling can empower innovation to become a driver of sustainable change by enabling businesses to visualise how they create, deliver, and capture value. The goal of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of how businesses can be inspired to depart from business-as-usual strategies and contribute to more sustainable modes of production and consumption. A responsible business modelling process is developed and piloted with a group of researchers and innovators from the German agri-food sector. Using agri-food-related business model ideas and the results of a Delphi survey in the same sector, it is analysed how RRI-informed interventions can stimulate anticipatory, reflexive and responsive deliberations. Wider system implications that render the business models more or less sustainable are highlighted. It is shown that the interventions can stimulate practices consistent with RRI, turning future knowledge into opportunities to contribute to sustainable change and inspiring new directions for doing business.