A Vade-mecum for Food Champions: How to influence Stakeholder Engagement for the development of Urban Food Strategies A Study on Policy Entrepreneurship in Cork (IR) and Bergamo (IT)

Abstract

The detrimental impact of the current global food system on both society and ecosystems requires a systemic shift towards a more sustainable state. As projections claim that almost 70% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050, the importance of the role of cities in tackling the sustainability of the food system decisively increases, especially within the context of climate change. To date, a few pioneering urban governments adopted so-called urban food strategies (UFSs), which are holistic plans integrating a full spectrum of issues related to urban food systems, from food production to waste management. Due to its very recent development, the phenomenon of UFSs has been scarcely investigated in scientific literature. An interesting perspective to explore it, is the study of agency of crucial actors, so-called food champions, often belonging to civil society, who invest time, energy and resources to push the topic of food onto the municipalities’ agenda. This research specifically investigates the strategies undertaken by these actors in order to involve stakeholders, which represent a fundamental premise for the potential development of UFSs. Policy entrepreneurship and leadership literature provided the theoretical concepts underpinning the case study research conducted in two European cities, which have started developing their UFSs, namely Cork (IR) and Bergamo (IT). The investigation of strategies implemented by actors and actor groups was performed considering the variety of contextual features influencing both the agency of food champions and inclusive stakeholder engagement. The results showed that policy entrepreneurship is often a collective phenomenon, based on the agency of actor groups, rather than individuals. Moreover, it is paramount that champions are highly sensitive to the social, economic and institutional context within which they act. This allows them to define problems and create visions that best fit interests and perspectives of the stakeholders, as well as to reinforce trust and reputation, necessary for cooperation and collective action. The final section of this report includes a vade-mecum for food champions, which presents the major insights gained through the empirical study. Recommendations are made for potential change agents of the urban food system, eager to engage stakeholders along the path of the urban food revolution.