From Blue Crab Crisis to Pink Oyster: Narrative Reframing and Governance Co-Evolution as Drivers of Sustainable Business Model Innovation

Following the invasive blue crab and climate shocks that compromised the shellfish economy of the Sacca di Scardovari (Po Delta, Italy), new oyster aquaculture firms emerged around a sustainable, place-based business model, the "Ostrica Rosa del Delta". Drawing on interviews and secondary sources, we show that this crisis-induced renewal rests on two co-evolving processes: a narrative reframing that turns the oyster from an invasive species into a premium territorial product and provider of ecosystem services, and the co-construction of multi-stakeholder governance. We contribute a framework of sustainable business model innovation in marginal agrifood systems and identify mechanisms (collective branding, institutional intermediaries, funding architectures) that enable inclusive scaling and replication.