Governance of Alternative Food Networks Through the Lenses of Experimentalist Governance: Insights from Two Case Studies in Bologna (Italy)

The global agri-food system is in a moment of deep uncertainty, calling into question its long-term sustainability. In this context of crisis, new forms of organization, often referred to as Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), are emerging. These networks represent a real movement of transformation of the food system, driven by values such as social justice, quality and sustainability. AFNs can also be seen as vehicles of social innovation, as they develop new social practices, institutional arrangements, and collaborative relationships that aim to address systemic challenges and unmet societal needs in the agri-food domain. Although the literature on AFNs has explored the characteristics and values of these networks, the way in which they organize and interact with institutions, hence contributing to the development of novel food policies, remains little explored. This calls for a better understanding of the governance of AFNs, their organizational modalities, their innovative practices, and how relationships take shape both inside and outside the boundaries of the network. Through the lenses of experimentalist governance (a model that departs from classic hierarchical structures and that values continuous learning) this study aims at filling the gap on the governance of AFNs. By analysing these realities through the lenses of experimentalist governance, it’s possible to understand how AFNs shape as social innovation initiatives, generating new modes of collective action and novel practices. The empirical investigation is based on the study of two farmers' market associations in the city of Bologna (Italy): Campi Aperti and Mercato Ritrovato. This contributions aims to: 1- Understand if and how the self-organization dynamics of AFNs align with the principles of experimental governance. 2- Analyze how the internal governance modes influence their relationship with local institutions, in particular with the Municipality of Bologna, and their potential role in the development of innovative food policies. The contribution focuses on the relationships that these networks create between producers, consumers, and institutions and it reveals a complex picture of interactions and tensions between AFNs and the institutional world. On one hand, AFNs bring bottom-up innovations and propose alternative models of production, distribution and consumption. On the other hand, local institutions, often tied to pre-existing logics and paradigms, struggle to recognize and valorise the transformative potential of these realities. Experimentalist governance, in this sense, emerges as a promising approach to overcome the rigidities of the system. AFNs are not simply a commercial alternative, but real laboratories of social innovation. This contribution highlights how the analysis of AFNs’ governance is fundamental to understand their impact and their potential in building a fairer and more sustainable agri-food system, and how experimental governance can help us understand and support the role of these actors.