Italian food districts: a multi-level governance analysis of policy frameworks and territorial distribution

In Italy, agricultural districts have evolved from their original configuration, inspired by industrial district models, towards structures that are more functional and aligned with agri-food policies and territorial development strategies. This process culminated in the institutional recognition of food districts through Law No. 205/2017. Despite not providing a fully unified legal framework, this law brought various forms of districts under a common definition. Today, these entities are regarded as territorial tools intended to promote endogenous development, territorial cohesion and sustainability. This study examines the institutional and regulatory architecture of food districts in Italy from a multilevel governance perspective, focusing particularly on regional differentiation and territorial distribution. The research combines a systematic review of national and regional legislation with an updated map showing the locations of officially recognised districts, classified by typology. The objective is to evaluate the consistency of the regulatory framework and to identify emerging models of territorial implementation. The results reveal a highly heterogeneous institutional landscape characterised by uneven levels of regulatory completeness and differentiated implementation models at regional level. This fragmentation impacts coordination between different governance levels and influences their operational capacity. Overall, food districts emerge as flexible place-based governance instruments, the effectiveness of which depends on the degree of alignment between national legislation and regional regulatory adaptations, as well as the quality of participatory processes at the local level. These findings provide valuable insights for designing integrated territorial development policies and strengthening sustainability transitions within agri-food systems.