Steering the Agroecological Transformation in Territories – what can we learn from Trentino as an autonomous province?

Abstract

When discussing the agroecological transformation of food systems, farmers’ autonomy at the territorial scale is often cited as a key enabler of sustainable and just outcomes. Yet the roles that different stakeholders and institutions play in enabling autonomous decision-making have received only limited attention. I aim to identify the enablers and barriers to territorial-level change by building on the notion of agroecological territories as multi-level, transitional, polycentric processes. Specifically, I will explore which governance arrangements and institutional configurations are emerging, how they interact across scales, and how they are enabled or constrained by national and European policy frameworks. As an autonomous province, Trentino is a good fit in examining the practices and complexities that unfold when governing a territory toward a sustainable and just food system. During my stay, I seek to better understand how autonomy, local identity, existing agricultural structures, and civil society shape territorial food systems. During this presentation, I would like to also learn about your experiences—anecdotes, struggles, and hopes. And hopefully I will be able to contribute to understanding territories as socio-ecological and institutional spaces that mediate competing visions, responsibilities, and power relations, and to offer practical insights for designing territorial food governance that advances sustainable and just agroecological outcomes.

Speaker 

Theresa Meyer, Universität Kassel

Discussant 

Francesca Forno, Università di Trento 

Jùlia Tena Mensa, Università di Trento 

Chair 

Mattia Andreola, Università di Trento