Localised experimentalist governance. A framework for understanding the political dimensions of Alternative Food Networks

There is widespread agreement on the need to radically transform food systems. Some scholars have argued that such transformations demand an engagement with ‘the political’: that is, with the competing understandings, values, and ambitions that mark society. However, it remains unclear how networks of actors govern processes in ways that make space for ‘the political’ without undermining collective action. In this paper, we explore the role of ‘the political’ in the internal governance of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) by advancing a locally-adapted framework for experimentalist governance. Taking the case of Campi Aperti, an AFN in Bologna, Italy, we show how the internal governance structures of AFNs, when shaped by elements of a localised approach to experimentalist governance, can facilitate engagement with ‘the political’ by navigating power dynamics and strategic uncertainties that influence their capacity for transformative change. In turn, our framework and analysis make visible the political potential of Campi Aperti as facilitated through its internal governance. Our findings illustrate how governance innovations emerge predominantly inside the network but struggle to receive support from other actors, notably public policy actors like the Municipality and regional authority. In this way, we contribute to understanding the internal governance of AFNs and respond to calls for deeper inquiry into their political dimensions.