"A New Food Economy (NFE) is emerging also in Italy as part of a wider food movement about health and sustainability in food matter. In this new model different actors are often involved in collaborative networks in which the differences between consumers and producers are more and more blurred. In the light of this phenomenon, the present research aims to investigate the bases and the development of their collaborative capability, mostly high¬lighting trust-building processes and social capital, assessing implications in their empowerment as fundamental factor for the full-establishment of the NFE. Facing a wide range of Italian case studies and with the help of in-depth interviews, the paper thus provides a comparative analysis of different Civic Food Networks (CFNs), including those in which the role of ICT is prominent. In doing so, the research introduces the concept of Civic Food Platforms, highlighting also the specific role of ICT in innovation and improvement of the NFE in Italy."

Support: Paper