Governing Food Sharing in Barcelona, Milan and Utrecht

Urban food governance is expected to address food insecurity, waste, social exclusion, and resilience. Food sharing initiatives (FSIs) can contribute to these goals, but their capacity to operate depends on the governance arrangements in which they are embedded. This article examines how governance modes shape the conditions under which FSIs operate, endure, and contribute to urban sustainability. Drawing on comparative qualitative case studies of Barcelona, Milan, and Utrecht, the analysis focuses on actors, power, and rules. Barcelona is characterised primarily by self-governance: civic autonomy, neighbourhood embeddedness, and local legitimacy support responses to vulnerability, but initiatives depend heavily on voluntary labour and insecure spaces. Milan reflects closed co-governance, where recognised coalitions, infrastructure, and municipal coordination support food redistribution and access but privilege initiatives aligned with policy and philanthropic priorities. Utrecht illustrates open co-governance across health, green space, circular economy, welfare and neighbourhood development, but fragmented support limits continuity. The article uses governance modes not only to classify arrangements but to evaluate how they shape the resources, recognition, and autonomy available to FSIs. Beyond 2030, urban authorities and their partners need to balance coordination, flexibility, and autonomy while recognising diverse forms of value, care, and participation.