License to lift fodder stored in empty locale (8)
I believe the answer is:
legalise
'license' is the definition.
('license'->'legalize' is in my internal thesaurus and 'ize'->'ise')
'lift fodder stored in empty locale' is the wordplay.
'lift' is a reversal indicator (I've seen 'lifted' mean this (going up in down clue)).
'fodder' becomes 'silage' (fodder used to feed animals).
'stored in' indicates putting letters inside.
'empty' says to hollow out the word (remove centre letters).
'locale' with its middle removed is 'le'.
'silage' backwards is 'egalis'.
'egalis' inserted inside 'le' is 'LEGALISE'.
'to' is the link.
(Other definitions for legalise that I've seen before include "Make licit" , "Make lawful" , "See a gill (anag.)" .)