PROPUESTA DE METODOLOGIA PARA LA IDENTIFICACION Y EL ANALISIS DE MODELOS DE NEGOCIO TRIPLEMENTE SOSTENIBLES EN EL SECTOR AGROALIMENTARIO.

Abstract

The agri-food industry is an important economic and social engine in many countries, not only because of its economic importance, but also because of its vital significance. For years, it has been possible to consider that this sector evolution has conducted to the development of centralized and global distribution networks. These global distribution networks, in a market of low value-for-weight products, are more efficient the more centralized their logistics be. This new paradigm has a collateral effect which is the difficult survival of the small producer-sellers with the problems that this entails for citizens as society members. This thesis is part of a project conducted by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia professors named as HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). The project aims to facilitate the development of a triple bottom-line food product market, generating the technological and business bases to reduce entry barriers, so that anyone, anywhere in the world can become an agent that approaches any producer to any consumer. The aim of this thesis is to provide a methodology for identifying and analysing business models through case studies, with the objective of creating a triple bottom-line, replicable and non-scalable business model bank in the agri-food industry. The application of this methodology provides a tool that facilitates the replicability of business models in the agri-food business context. In addition, it allows to identify those triply sustainable and non-scalable models that can be implemented by consumers, producers and intermediaries. The research work is carried out from literature reviews to understand the business models scope, triple bottom-line business and the context of the agri-food economy, as well as the application of the case study research methodology, for which the proposal is validated. This thesis gives three fundamental contributions: a methodology to identify and analyse a business model through study cases, a triple bottom-line assessment model within the agri-food economy framework, and three food retailing business model analysis.; El sector agroalimentario supone un importante motor economico y social en muchos paises, no solo por su relevancia economica, sino tambien por su significado vital. Desde hace anos se puede considerar que la evolucion del sector ha derivado en el desarrollo de redes de distribucion centralizadas y globales. Estas redes de distribucion globales, en un mercado de productos de bajo ratio valor/peso, son mas eficientes cuanto mas centralizada este su logistica. Este nuevo paradigma tiene como efecto colateral la dificil pervivencia del pequeno productor-vendedor con los problemas que esto supone para el ciudadano en cuanto a miembro de la sociedad. Esta tesis se enmarca en un proyecto de profesores de la Universitat Politecnica de Valencia denominado HOF3M (Heterarchical Open Food 3-sustainable Market). El proyecto tiene el objetivo de facilitar el desarrollo de un mercado triplemente sostenible de productos…