Impacts of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Voucher Program on Food Lifestyle Behaviors: Evidence from an Employer-Sponsored Pilot Program

Urban Farm DB summary

A controlled pilot study offered 95 first-time shareholders drawn from a university wellness program a $200 voucher to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, surveying food lifestyle behaviors before and after participation and comparing changes against an 82-person control group using econometric analysis. Changes were found in four categories — fresh versus processed food consumption, food prepared at home versus away, food purchasing behavior and interest in nutrition, and self-reported health outcomes — and these changes were more strongly realized among shareholders who reported lower-than-average health prior to the CSA.