Most industries and sectors are currently characterized by complex, long and international supply chains that incorporate untransparent and opportunistic inter-organizational business model dynamics. Each actor acts and develops based on their own business model, causing a sub-optimal whole out of a sustainability perspective. To foster sustainability transitions, new business approaches are needed that embrace the needs and conditions of all supply chain actors with a unified goal to deliver sustainable products to end-users/consumers. We propose a conceptual framework that moves the firm level business model focus to the supply chain level i.e. inter-organizational business model. Based on multiple case studies of several retailers, producers, and suppliers in the food sector, the proposed framework for inter-organizational business modeling is elaborated and discussed. The preliminary findings suggest that current industry structures lack inter-organizational business model dynamics. In addition, some supply chains actors implement business models that enhance sustainability and resilience but there is a lack of aligned incentive models that foster the transition. Nevertheless, findings show that there is great potential for increased collaboration to promote and develop sustainable production and consumption of food, based on the inter-organizational business model framework.
