The social value of the sharing economy: a classification of innovative models in the food industry

Objectives. The current global scenario is characterized by a huge paradox: from one side there is the scourge of poverty, on the other side, 1.3 billion of food is globally wasted every year. To face these problems, innovative social business models are emerging, especially in the food retail industry such as food banks, social supermarket and recently food sharing models. The main contribution of this paper is to classify the sharing models designed to pursue a social mission in the food industry. Methodology. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on a sample of 52 food sharing models was carried. Findings. Three typologies of models have emerged. The sharing for money which is primary a B2B for profit model to reduce waste and at the same time generate revenue, the sharing for charity model where collected food is given to non profit organizations, and the sharing for the community that is a P2P model where food is shared among consumer with the main purpose of reduce waste. Research limits. The selected sample examined a wide but not exhaustive set of models. Also, the analysis techniques employed require a certain discretion on the part of the researcher. Practical implications. The identified clusters provide an overall frame of reference for understanding food sharing models and offer a clarification and an overview that facilitates the identification and understanding of each model. Originality of the study. It is one of the first study that provides a systematization of emerging sharing models in the food industry.