What scale for local food system planning? Insights from French case studies

Abstract

This paper explores the critical role of scale in food system planning. Although there is growing aware­ness of the importance of considering the city-region scale in food system planning, a comprehen­sive understanding of the scale of planning is lacking in this evolving policy field. This study addresses this gap by analyzing a series of food sys­tem planning projects developed at different scales in France. Drawing on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with officials, the paper ex­plores three key dimensions of scale: administra­tive, action, and governance scales. Findings reveal that there is no relevant one-size-fits-all administra­tive scale for all food system planning projects. Instead, each administrative scale has its own strengths and limitations. Smaller-scale planning is often more efficient for rapid implementation but may fall into the local trap, whereas larger-scale planning offers a more appropriate scale to meet the food supply-demand balance at a city-region scale but risks a long process of coordination and inefficient implementation. The study identifies local political willingness, legal competences, and spatial appropriateness as significant factors when determining at which scale to develop food system planning. Moreover, the study investigates how localities define “local” within their food system planning practices. They vary from the ambiguous “as close as possible,” administrative units, to quantified distances, but most action scales extend administrative boundaries. Finally, the study identi­fies locally designed governance strategies to match action scales and administrative scales, with empiri­cal evidence from food system planning experi­ments applying cross-scalar and cross-local govern­ance models. It also highlights challenges such as unclear distribution of responsibilities among juris­dictions, which hinders local implementation of actions. By providing empirical evidence, the paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of the scale issue in food system planning and emphasizes the importance of governance strategies and insti­tutional design. The paper offers practitioners guid­ance on identifying and determining the scale of planning and governance strategies, while also pro­viding scholars with directions for future research.