Collaborative Networks and Change Orientation in Local Agrifood Fields: Insights from Bologna’s Food System

This study examines the collaborative network structure of Bologna's local food system, focusing on resource exchanges among food-related collective actors, including for-profit enterprises, non-profit organizations, and institutional stakeholders. Using a meso-level analytical approach and drawing upon organizational field theories, the research reconstructs interorganizational networks of information exchange, shared resources, and joint initiatives to provide a comprehensive understanding of collaborative dynamics. Survey data collected from a diverse sample of organizational representatives form the basis for this analysis. Respondents identified key relationships across 20 actor types, enabling the construction of a stylized network that captures patterns of collaboration within and between actor categories. Network analysis methods, including whole-network metrics, node-level measures, structural equivalence blockmodeling, and community detection, are applied to explore network characteristics and identify distinct structural positions within the local food system. The study also investigates whether actors' positions in the collaborative network are associated with their attitudes towards the ecological and social sustainability of current food systems, their support for systemic transformation, and their willingness to engage in participatory initiatives. Preliminary findings offer insights into the interplay between network structure and orientations toward change, contributing to broader debates on the role of interorganizational collaboration in driving food system transitions.