“We are beautiful.” Creating political and societal traction through multi-stakeholder participation.

Insights from 12 European cities’ processes of establishing Food Policy Councils by Rachel Reckinger: “Food Policy Councils (FPCs) are increasingly used to coordinate values-based territorial food networks in European cities. Their contribution, however, extends beyond formal policy outputs to the processes that enable deliberation, collaboration and stakeholder engagement. Drawing on four years of empirical work with 12 cities participating in the FUSILLI Project, we examine how FPCs are initiated, organised and embedded within local governance settings.The analysis revisits the distinction between “bottom-up” and “government-mandated” FPCs and shows that cases frequently combine characteristics of both. Rather than two distinct models, they form a spectrum of co-created arrangements in which civil society, municipal administrations, businesses and researchers negotiate roles and responsibilities. The urban scale emerges as a critical locus for this work, offering institutional proximity, opportunities for coordination across sectors and the capacity to link community initiatives with formal policy processes.Using a comparative framework, the study assesses FPCs along three dimensions: food system sustainability, food democracy and good governance. It considers stated objectives, governance practices, activities and outputs, and the outcomes that follow from them. The findings indicate that even early-stage or partial initiatives can strengthen participation, improve cross-sector coordination and support incremental system change.Overall, the paper clarifies the organisational configurations through which FPCs contribute to food system transformation. It identifies core features that underpin their durability and policy relevance, alongside optional elements that can enhance their performance. The results offer practical insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to design or refine FPCs capable of supporting resilient and values-driven urban food systems…(More)”.