Business Models that Valorise ESS and Advance a More Socially and Ecologically Grounded Economy

Abstract

The services ecosystems provide can be seen as assets in developing individual businesses and local economies. The business models examined in this chapter represent strategies that valorise a high-quality cultural and natural environments. We argue that they make lifestyles and economic systems more environmentally and socially sustainable. The strategies link orthodox business goals with the societal goal of a more socially and ecologically grounded economy. Our analysis focuses on how ecosystem services are valorised and different kinds of value are created. We are interested in the goods and services provided, customers and revenue streams, the related strategies, and the creation of cross-sectoral synergies. The basis of our analysis is a set of business model archetypes compiled in the EU-funded ROBUST project. The business models range from organic farming and regional quality labels to ecotourism and the valorisation of food heritage and green lifestyles. They comprise individual and shared businesses and place-based approaches like renewable energy sourcing partnerships. For each model, we discuss how they support the creation of win-win situations and valorisation of ecosystem services (ESS), identify limiting factors, and explore the potential role of policy