By 2050, cities—despite covering just 3% of the earth’s surface—will account for 80% of global food consumption. As key hubs of consumption and innovation, they increasingly take the lead in shaping food policies. However, food governance is not limited to cities; regional and national governments have long been engaged in policymaking. Ensuring coherence and collaboration across these levels is essential yet challenging, as priorities, expertise, and political will often differ. Fragmented governance structures and a lack of spaces for cross-sectoral dialogue often slow progress towards systemic transformation. To bridge these gaps, a multi-level governance approach is needed —one that fosters coordination between urban, regional, and national policies— to build more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.
Food sovereignty is a fundamental right. For individuals, it means having access to healthy and culturally appropriate food. For communities, it means being able to decide how they produce, share and consume food, as well as to have the power to choose self-reliance or collaboration when it comes to what they eat. However, current food governance is often fragmented, with national authorities setting overarching policies while subnational governments and local actors are tasked with their implementation. This predominantly top-down approach can overlook local realities, leaving municipalities underfunded and constrained, and marginalising key voices—such as indigenous communities. Adopting a more inclusive, multi‐level governance model is therefore essential to bridge these gaps.
Multi-level governance facilitates more effective collaboration among national, regional, and local authorities, ensuring that policies are not only well‐designed but also tailored to diverse contexts. Local actors bring invaluable knowledge of their communities, allowing them to adapt policies to their specific realities while ensuring coherence with national frameworks. Without such coordination, food policies risk duplication, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities for systemic transformation.
To bridge this gap between national and subnational food governance, Rikolto and FAO organised multi-level food labs in Ecuador and Indonesia in collaboration with the Association of Ecuadorian Municipalities in Ecuador, and the National Development Planning of Indonesia (Bappenas), UNEP, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in Indonesia, between September and December 2023, with a second round in late 2024.
The multi-level food labs in Ecuador and Indonesia provided a structured space for national and subnational government representatives, including municipalities and provinces, alongside academia and civil society, to engage in a dialogue and identify challenges and opportunities to create or improve multi-level governance mechanisms in support of more sustainable food systems. The labs also aimed to recommend specific entry points for developing and operationalising such mechanisms in the context of Ecuador and Indonesia, and to provide input for the development of these guidelines.
In both countries, we followed a specific and similar methodology. Ahead of the food labs, three contextual analysis sessions were conducted in both countries; one to assess stakeholders’ access to information to make informed food system decisions; one on policy coordination mechanisms; and one on financial resources, including budgetary constraints faced by subnational governments. Discussions also identified potential solutions, such as creating mechanisms for improved information-sharing, providing subnational governments with clearer mandates, and supporting their efforts to secure resources.
The food labs themselves consisted of three virtual meetings, each lasting between 2 and 3 hours. While the specific issues discussed varied between the two countries, they both followed similar themes:
Structured discussions, expert presentations, and an online whiteboard tool helped participants build a shared understanding of key challenges and identify pathways for collaboration. In total, over 70 stakeholders per country contributed to the discussions, generating 19 recommendations in Indonesia and 22 in Ecuador in 2023.
These insights serve to guide future policy efforts, ensuring that food system transformation is not just a national agenda but a truly inclusive, multi-level process.
Charlotte Flechet
Global Good Food for Cities programme director | Rikolto
In Indonesia, the multi-level food labs provided a crucial platform for addressing governance challenges in a highly diverse food system landscape. With support from Bappenas and UNEP, the 2023 sessions brought together national and local stakeholders to identify key obstacles, including the need for clearer roles and responsibilities across government levels and capacity-building for subnational authorities to adapt national policies effectively. In 2024, discussions centred on the implementation of Indonesia Law No. 59/2024 on National Long-Term Development, which emphasises local food system transformation. Participants highlighted the need for regular multi-stakeholder forums to deepen discussions, improve data collection, collaboration and monitoring efforts, and enhance financial support mechanisms—particularly for MSMEs and youth. Recommendations focused on strengthening multi-stakeholder coordination, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, including fostering public-private partnerships, improving financial literacy, and documenting best practices to inform policymaking. While progress has been made, continued collaboration and targeted investments remain essential for achieving equitable and resilient local food systems in Indonesia.
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Indonesia's unique geographic and cultural diversity presents significant challenges when it comes to creating cohesive food system policies. The food labs have demonstrated that bringing together local knowledge and national priorities is an enormous added value for policies that are inclusive and effective across all the country's regions.
In Ecuador, the multi-level food labs built on the country’s constitutional commitment to food sovereignty and Buen Vivir, highlighting both progress and persistent challenges in multi-level food governance. With support from the Ecuadorian Association of Municipalities, FAO, and Rikolto, the 2023 sessions identified key priorities, including the need for a permanent forum for multi-level food systems dialogue, a national food sovereignty strategy, and improved data-sharing mechanisms between national and local governments. In 2024, discussions underscored governance gaps, particularly legal constraints preventing municipal governments from addressing food production, limited financial resources, and fragmented planning processes. Participants stressed the importance of capacity-building for local governments, greater alignment of food policies with urban realities, and legal reforms to expand municipal competencies in food system governance. Recommendations focused on policy advocacy, multi-stakeholder coordination, and resource mobilisation, with an emphasis on integrating urban agriculture, climate resilience, and short food supply chains into broader development strategies. By strengthening institutional capacities and fostering collaboration, Ecuador’s food system transformation efforts can become more inclusive, resilient, and locally driven.
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The process has shown me how essential it is to bring local and diverse voices to the table. When national policies are shaped by the lived realities of communities, we can build a food system that is inclusive, ensuring that every Ecuadorian has access to healthy, culturally appropriate food.
The multi-level food labs in Ecuador and Indonesia have proven to be promising platforms for fostering collaboration and synergy among diverse stakeholders, including national and subnational governments, civil society, and food system actors. Food systems governance is an ongoing effort that requires not only government institutions but also the active participation of multiple stakeholders in producing and implementing collectively binding rules. These governance mechanisms are essential for ensuring that food policies are inclusive, sustainable, and adaptable to local contexts. As demonstrated in the food labs, creating spaces for dialogue and knowledge exchange is crucial for strengthening governance processes and integrating local realities into national food policies, particularly in bridging the gap between national frameworks and local needs.
The recommendations emerging from these food labs are a call to action. They include establishing permanent forums for multi-level dialogue, crafting national strategies that respect local diversity, and improving data-sharing mechanisms. As cities continue to evolve as centres of innovation and consumption, integrating local insights into national policies will be crucial for creating food systems that are both resilient and inclusive. The experiences in Indonesia and Ecuador demonstrate that multi-level food labs can pave a way toward more effective and equitable food governance—one that honours the connections between local realities and national ambitions.
This article was edited by the intern Coline Hock.
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