Small wins in practice: Learnings from 16 European initiatives working towards the transformation of urban food systems

In this study, we examine how 16 initiatives across Europe are addressing ‘wicked’ food system issues by mobilising local networks and implementing small-scale but impactful changes in urban and peri-urban regions. To map the potential of these initiatives to contribute to large-scale change, we apply the Small Wins Framework proposed by Termeer & Dewulf (2019). By analysing data collected through interviews with participants working on initiatives spanning 13 cities across 9 European countries, we identify the manifestation of six propelling mechanisms that signal the capacity of small wins to bring about systemic change. Findings from this study reveal the presence of most mechanisms across the included initiatives. However, the ways in which these mechanisms appear depend on various factors such as stakeholder motivation, the maturity of the initiative, the need for additional funding, local food culture, and the regional and national political landscape among others. Our analysis indicates that the Small Wins Framework could be successfully used as a mapping tool in urban transformation processes, but it is likely to be more effective as a tool for reflexive monitoring rather than ex-post evaluation. Drawing on the impacts of various large-scale disruptions on the initiatives, we suggest that social, political, and economic shocks can present windows of opportunity to accelerate change and that initiatives performing well under such pressure should be supported in their pursuit of systems transformation. Lastly, we recommend non-linear growth strategies such as spreading, deepening, and expanding, as ways to compound the impact of small wins.