IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v9y2017i12p2307-d122678.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Examining the Business Case and Models for Sustainable Multifunctional Edible Landscaping Enterprises in the Phoenix Metro Area

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Robinson

    (School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, 800 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Scott Cloutier

    (School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, 800 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Hallie Eakin

    (School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, 800 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

Abstract

This study assesses whether multifunctional edible landscaping business models provide a sufficient business case at enterprise and city scales to justify widespread implementation. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four landscaping entrepreneurs, and the information obtained from the interviews was utilized to carry out a business model comparison with the Business Model Canvas framework. The comparison showed that the landscaping enterprises using multifunctional edible landscaping methods possessed a greater range of value propositions and revenue streams, enhancing their competitive advantage. Second, a GIS landscape analysis of seven Phoenix metro area cities was carried out to identify landscapes that were suited for becoming multifunctional edible landscapes. The GIS analysis identified single family residential, residential recreational open space, municipal parks, and municipal schools as being suitable landscapes, and that the area of these landscapes in the seven cities exceeded 180,000 acres. Third, scenarios were created using interview and GIS data to estimate potential value creation and return on investment of implementing multifunctional edible landscaping in the cities of interest. The scenarios found that the potential value creation of edible landscaping ranged between $3.9 and $66 billion, and that positive return on investment (ROI) could be achieved in 11 out of 12 scenarios within one to five years. Finally, the paper concludes by discussing potential long-term implications of implementing multifunctional edible urban landscaping, as well as possible future directions for multifunctional landscaping business model development and research.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Robinson & Scott Cloutier & Hallie Eakin, 2017. "Examining the Business Case and Models for Sustainable Multifunctional Edible Landscaping Enterprises in the Phoenix Metro Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-28, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:12:p:2307-:d:122678
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/12/2307/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/12/2307/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sabol, Andrija & Sverer, Filip, 2017. "A Review Of The Economic Value Added Literature And Application," UTMS Journal of Economics, University of Tourism and Management, Skopje, Macedonia, vol. 8(1), pages 19-27.
    2. John Alexander, 2007. "Environmental Sustainability Versus Profit Maximization: Overcoming Systemic Constraints on Implementing Normatively Preferable Alternatives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 76(2), pages 155-162, December.
    3. Elisa Villani & Luciano Greco & Nelson Phillips, 2017. "Understanding Value Creation in Public-Private Partnerships: A Comparative Case Study," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(6), pages 876-905, September.
    4. Domenic Vitiello & Jeane Grisso & K. Whiteside & Rebecca Fischman, 2015. "From commodity surplus to food justice: food banks and local agriculture in the United States," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(3), pages 419-430, September.
    5. Sarah Taylor Lovell, 2010. "Multifunctional Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Land Use Planning in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(8), pages 1-24, August.
    6. Karan Girotra & Serguei Netessine, 2013. "OM Forum —Business Model Innovation for Sustainability," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 15(4), pages 537-544, October.
    7. Figge, Frank & Hahn, Tobias, 2004. "Sustainable Value Added--measuring corporate contributions to sustainability beyond eco-efficiency," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 173-187, February.
    8. Jablonski, B. B. R. & Schmit, T. M. & Kay, D., 2016. "Assessing the Economic Impacts of Food Hubs on Regional Economies: A Framework that Includes Opportunity Cost," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(1), pages 143-172, April.
    9. Giaime Berti & Catherine Mulligan, 2016. "Competitiveness of Small Farms and Innovative Food Supply Chains: The Role of Food Hubs in Creating Sustainable Regional and Local Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-31, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Saeed Nosratabadi & Amir Mosavi & Shahaboddin Shamshirband & Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Andry Rakotonirainy & Kwok Wing Chau, 2019. "Sustainable Business Models: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-30, March.
    2. Nosratabadi, Saeed & Mosavi, Amir & Shamshirband, Shahaboddin & Zavadskas, Edmundas Kazimieras & Rakotonirainy, Andry & Chau, Kwok Wing, 2020. "Sustainable Business Models: A Review," OSF Preprints u4xw3, Center for Open Science.
    3. Saeed Nosratabadi & Amirhosein Mosavi & Zoltan Lakner, 2020. "Food Supply Chain and Business Model Innovation," Papers 2001.03982, arXiv.org.
    4. Nosratabadi, Saeed & Mosavi, Amir & Shamshirband, Shahaboddin & Zavadskas, Edmundas Kazimieras & Rakotonirainy, Andry & Chau, Kwok Wing, 2020. "Sustainable Business Models: A Review," OSF Preprints ts54m, Center for Open Science.
    5. Zhi-Wei Zheng & Rung-Jiun Chou, 2023. "Promoting the Development of Edible Landscapes in Suburban Areas with Place Branding—A Case Study in Taiwan," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-20, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muhammad Mumtaz Khan & Muhammad Tahir Akram & Rhonda Janke & Rashad Waseem Khan Qadri & Abdullah Mohammed Al-Sadi & Aitazaz A. Farooque, 2020. "Urban Horticulture for Food Secure Cities through and beyond COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-21, November.
    2. Marilyn Sitaker & Jane Kolodinsky & Weiwei Wang & Lisa C. Chase & Julia Van Soelen Kim & Diane Smith & Hans Estrin & Zoe Van Vlaanderen & Lauren Greco, 2020. "Evaluation of Farm Fresh Food Boxes: A Hybrid Alternative Food Network Market Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-25, December.
    3. Zsófia Benedek & Imre Fertő & Viktória Szente, 2020. "The Multiplier Effects of Food Relocalization: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Iveta Šimberová & Peter Kita, 2020. "New Business Models Based on Multiple Value Creation for the Customer: A Case Study in the Chemical Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, May.
    5. Fernianda Rahayu Hermiatin & Yuanita Handayati & Tomy Perdana & Dadan Wardhana, 2022. "Creating Food Value Chain Transformations through Regional Food Hubs: A Review Article," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-24, July.
    6. Shingo Yoshida & Hironori Yagi, 2021. "Long-Term Development of Urban Agriculture: Resilience and Sustainability of Farmers Facing the Covid-19 Pandemic in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-23, April.
    7. Agata Malak-Rawlikowska & Edward Majewski & Adam Wąs & Svein Ole Borgen & Peter Csillag & Michele Donati & Richard Freeman & Viet Hoàng & Jean-Loup Lecoeur & Maria Cecilia Mancini & An Nguyen & Monia , 2019. "Measuring the Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability of Short Food Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-23, July.
    8. Ishak Norziha & Abdullah Rosazlin & Rosli Noor Sharina Mohd & Majid Hazreenbdul & Halim Nur Sa’adah Abdul & Ariffin Fazilah, 2022. "Challenges of Urban Garden Initiatives for Food Security in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 41(4), pages 57-72, December.
    9. Cinzia Battistella & Maria Rosita Cagnina & Lucia Cicero & Nadia Preghenella, 2018. "Sustainable Business Models of SMEs: Challenges in Yacht Tourism Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Wojciech Sroka & Jaroslaw Mikolajczyk & Tomasz Wojewodzic & Boguslawa Kwoczynska, 2018. "Agricultural Land vs. Urbanisation in Chosen Polish Metropolitan Areas: A Spatial Analysis Based on Regression Trees," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-22, March.
    11. Agnieszka Stacherzak & Maria Hełdak & Ladislav Hájek & Katarzyna Przybyła, 2019. "State Interventionism in Agricultural Land Turnover in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-13, March.
    12. Sara A. L. Smaal & Joost Dessein & Barend J. Wind & Elke Rogge, 2021. "Social justice-oriented narratives in European urban food strategies: Bringing forward redistribution, recognition and representation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 709-727, September.
    13. Rombach, Meike & Bitsch, Vera, 2018. "Sector blending: evidence from the German Food Bank," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(2), March.
    14. Figge, Frank & Hahn, Tobias & Barkemeyer, Ralf, 2014. "The If, How and Where of assessing sustainable resource use," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 274-283.
    15. Kassis, Grâce & Bertrand, Nathalie, 2022. "Institutional changes in farmland governance emerging from a collective land preservation procedure upholding local food projects: Evidence from a French case study," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    16. Devi Buehler & Ranka Junge, 2016. "Global Trends and Current Status of Commercial Urban Rooftop Farming," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-16, October.
    17. Rosalia Diaz‐Carrion & Macarena López‐Fernández & Pedro M. Romero‐Fernandez, 2020. "Sustainable human resource management and employee engagement: A holistic assessment instrument," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1749-1760, July.
    18. Jessica Ann Diehl, 2020. "Growing for Sydney: Exploring the Urban Food System through Farmers’ Social Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, April.
    19. Yuan Ma & Heng Liang & Han Li & Yaping Liao, 2020. "Towards the Healthy Community: Residents’ Perceptions of Integrating Urban Agriculture into the Old Community Micro-Transformation in Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-21, October.
    20. Michal Chocholousek & Zuzana Hlouskova & Tereza Simova & Jan Huml, 2021. "Agriculture farms product differentiation assessment in the Czech Republic," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 67(3), pages 81-89.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:12:p:2307-:d:122678. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.