Gothenburg’s Applied Food Strategy (GAFS) is both a municipal mission and an active testbed within Urban Rural Gothenburg, a three-year (2017-19) EU-sponsored project for sustainable development with the overarching aim to create improved conditions for green innovation and green business development between the city and the countryside. While a national food strategy is being implemented at the regional level, its municipal counterpart remains functionally independent as the city is reluctant to produce a new strategy document on food in an effort to reduce the number of strategy documents at the city level. However, transforming intentions into actions within the municipality requires that relevant strategy documents are in place. This presentation draws on insights from Mistra Urban Futures’ associated food networks, interactive platforms, scientific publications, a transdisciplinary anthology and a report on sustainable food to build a knowledge base that can help raise concerns, maintain motivation and enhance positive outcomes from food work with the overarching goal to unlock food justice.