Biodistricts as institutional innovations fostering agroecology transitions: the case of Chianti (Tuscany, Italy)

Agroecology transitions require institutional innovations that can reshape governance arrangements and actor coalitions to deliver positive socio‑ecological feedback. It is still unclear how such transformations can take root in highly specialised European agrifood systems, where market concentration and path dependency constrain change. Biodistricts are examples of territorial initiatives that integrate organic farming with participatory governance. Although they have gained prominence, there is insufficient understanding of their underlying socio‑ecological mechanisms. This study provides evidence from the Chianti Biodistrict (Tuscany, Italy), a bottom‑up governance innovation that has emerged within a specialised, export‑oriented viticultural landscape. Ostrom’s socio‑ecological systems framework is applied to the case study through qualitative empirical methods, within the frame of a 4-year participatory research project. The analysis aims to show how multi‑actor coalitions configure deliberation spaces; co‑design strategies; and foster the adoption of practices such as interrow cover, composting hubs, and collective pest monitoring. The findings highlight four mechanisms that enable systemic redesign: coalition mobilisation; reconfiguration of the linkages among resource systems, resource units, actors, and governance system; ecological-institutional feedback loops; and the mitigation of structural lock‑ins through coordination and stronger knowledge systems. These findings advance understanding of biodistricts as institutional innovations and show the value of the socio‑ecological systems framework as both an analytical lens and a boundary object for participatory territorial governance research. Theoretical grounding and anchoring to theoretical propositions support analytical generalisation and clarify conditions for transferability to other likewise (European) agroecology initiatives.