The research project "Food Coalitions Beyond the Local Scale: Spaces for a Democratic Sustainability Transformation" (short: Trans-Local Food Coalitions) explores alternative models of commodity chains that seek to address the challenges of globalization. Using alternative global food chains as an example, it aims to identify the opportunities and limitations of food chains that directly connect producers and consumers. It specifically seeks to understand to what extent and how alternative food chains strengthen democratic and sustainability values. In addition to producing novel scientific insights, the project provides practically relevant knowledge that is shared with practitioners.

The project is a collaboration between researchers from BOKU University Vienna, the University of Basel and the Centre for Technology and Society at TU Berlin. It is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The project started in fall 2024 and runs for three years.