Food Policy Observatory
Overview of 71 Local Food Policies in Italy
Together with CIHEAM Bari, we mapped 71 local food policies in Italy. The results, published in the prestigious journal Frontiers, reveal the crucial role of medium-sized cities and the gradual institutionalization of food governance.
In Italy, a full-fledged “movement” for food transition is underway—a mosaic of local initiatives that is reshaping the relationship between cities, regions, and food systems. But who are the real drivers of this change? What are the most sought-after outcomes, and how are public administrations responding?
Our latest study, titled “Mapping the diversity of Italian governance practices for food systems transformation: evidence from cities and territories,” which was just published as open access in the prestigious international journal Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, answers these questions.
The study, conducted by our EStà – Economia e Sostenibilità team (authored by Chiara Bergonzini, Andrea Calori, and Bianca Minotti) in collaboration with CIHEAM Bari (Simona Giordano, Francesca Volpe, Nicole Defli, and Damiano Petruzzella), represents an important milestone in understanding local food policies in our country.
From the Observatory’s fact sheets to the national meta-analysis
This work originated as part of the OnFoodsAtlas project (funded by the PNRR). Initially, our goal was to map and compile detailed fact sheets to contribute to the National Observatory on Local Food Policies (available at www.osservatoriofoodpolicy.it). However, we realized we had a database rich in information at our disposal. We therefore decided to conduct a meta-analysis of 71 mapped cases, examining them through three broad lenses: geographic representation, governance dynamics, and expected impacts on food systems.
The Three Key Messages of the Research
The paper highlights profound and, in part, unexpected dynamics regarding Food Governance (FG) in Italy
- The role of medium-sized cities: although international examples such as Milan’s Food Policy (thanks in part to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact—MUFPP) have historically attracted most of the scientific and media attention, the Italian transition is also taking place elsewhere. It is also medium-sized cities and coalitions of small municipalities that are driving change across the country, demonstrating extraordinary vitality and capacity for innovation, as shown by the exemplary cases of Andria (Andria Food Policy Hub), Bergamo, and Trento (Nutrire Trento).
- Multilevel governance (but led by the public and civil society): municipalities remain key players, serving as project leaders in 44.3% of the cases analyzed. Close behind, however, is the irreplaceable role of the Social Sector (21.4%), a sign that Italy’s food transition has a strong participatory and grassroots character.
- Food is making its way onto political agendas: there is a clearly positive trend toward the institutionalization of these practices. Food is no longer merely a sector-specific or emergency issue but is progressively being integrated into broader strategic plans, primarily those related to sustainable local development (33.8% of cases) and specific food plans (27.7%).
The Impacts: Health, Environment, and Active Citizenship
An analysis of the objectives reveals that the mapped practices are primarily aimed at changing consumption patterns, protecting citizens’ health, and promoting environmental sustainability (with a strong focus on the United Nations’ SDGs 2, 11, 12, and 13). It is no coincidence that the most frequently cited categories of action within the MUFPP—in addition to Governance itself—concern “Sustainable Diets and Nutrition” (62%), often through school cafeterias and nutrition education.
Next Steps: Qualitative Research
Like any mapping of ongoing processes, this initiative is bound to evolve. For this reason, the National Observatory hosts a crowd-mapping tool that allows new initiatives to come forward. Furthermore, to go beyond the formal data found in administrative documents, the research team has already conducted 33 in-depth qualitative interviews. The goal is to explore the real obstacles that local communities face every day: from inconsistent funding to the risk of setbacks in the event of political changes, to the need for enabling digital and physical infrastructure.
The scientific article is available for free via Open Access on Frontiers:
Explore the map and case profiles for the 71 cases on the Observatory’s website:
Food Policy Observatory
