This project was developed within a PhD scholarship with the funding reference 2020.06206.BD.

This thesis aims to explore the sociopolitical dimension of translocal networks of Common-Based Initiatives (CBIs) in the food and energy sectors, evaluating the conditions that enable or constrain transformative social innovation by incorporating a more dynamic and complex framework. Focusing on Energy Communities (ECs) and Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) in Belgium and Emilia-Romagna, Italy, this study investigates how the Food-Energy Nexus (FE Nexus) can provide an inter-relational analytical framework for CBIs and promote an alternative to the institutional dynamics of the EU’s green transition agenda, current anchored in the "Decarbonization Consensus". The methodology included a literature review, document analysis, fieldwork involving 38 interviews and participant observation, and an exploratory and comparative approach. The study centered on governance mechanisms, institutional interactions, political strategies of CBIs, and the construction of collective power networks. The findings highlight the potential of CBI networks to drive transformative social innovations at both local and European levels through prefigurative practices and policies. However, challenges persist, including disparities between the objectives and language of CBIs and policymakers, limited political participation for CBI networks, distortions in the transposition of European directives by Member States, a persistent focus on regulatory changes rather than structural governance shifts, and limited recognition of the FE Nexus in both public policy formulation and CBI strategies. These barriers underscore the need for greater integration and recognition of CBIs in public policies as agents of systemic change.

Keywords: Social innovation; Common-based initiatives; Commons; Energy community.

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