Blurred powers, multiple agencies, and discontinuous temporalities. A multi-level perspective on bottom-up innovation in agri-food policies

Abstract

The Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework has been widely employed to analyze transitions in agri-food systems. However, its analytical capacity remains limited in addressing critical dimensions such as power asymmetries, territorial dynamics, and diverse forms of agency. To address these gaps, this paper integrates MLP with relational and evolutionary perspectives from social movements theory to examine 23 years of agri-food policy co-creation in València, Spain. We aim to understand (1) how do power relations influence the institutional anchoring of bottom-up policy innovations; (2) what mechanisms can grassroots movements leverage to facilitate such anchoring; and (3) what relational dynamics arise in this context. Our findings highlight how grassroots actors mobilize multiple forms of agency and operate across non-linear temporalities to advance anchoring for policy change, assuming diverse roles as intermediary actors. This relational perspective offers new insights into the strategic practices that underpin long-term sustainability transitions.