The paper examines opportunities for development of alternative food networks (AFNs) in Bulgaria in their essence of short production and distribution chains focusing on their contribution to sustainable rural development through climate-wise transition of transportation and social innovation. The concept of alternative food networks is considered in the context of its potential to overcome the most pressing problems in rural regions in Bulgaria nowadays connected to local businesses and community development, on one hand, and the climate change and business efficiency challenges in modern transport and business logistics on the other. The issue of local food and marketing is scrutinized by the point of view of the 4Cs model of marketing, namely customer, cost, convenience, and communication. The paper presents the main results of a study, implemented in the INVEST Regional Living Lab in Bulgaria under the research task of Alternative food chains and new business models. Alternative food networks are accepted as part of the sustainable agri-food systems of the future encouraging sustainable production and consumption and minimizing the impact of transportation both on price and climate, and particularly in their close connection to community development via environmental, business and social innovations. The study makes a proposal for a new model of AFNs in Bulgaria based on an online platform with a shared delivery transportation system.