Social entrepreneurship in agri-food systems: the case of food hubs

Food hubs are nascent organizational innovations in local and regional food systems. Although the number of food hubs in the U.S. has grown over the past decade, their purpose in the food system is still debated. There is a lack of clarity in whether food hubs primarily pursue a social mission, economic value creation, or both simultaneously. To better understand the purpose of food hubs in the food system, this study draws from social entrepreneurship literature and examines the entrepreneurial processes by which food hubs were formed. By employing a comparative case study research method, the study examines four food hubs with different organizational models in the U.S. state of Michigan. The results show that food hubs are social enterprises aimed to simultaneously create social and economic value. Social value proposition, however, can be multifaceted and differs by food hub type. The key differences in food hub models stem from their legal business status, markets they serve, scope and scale of both mobilized resources and economic activities in ‘farm to fork’ supply chains.