What Makes a CSA a CSA?
Zhenzhong Si, Theresa Schumilas, Weiping Chen, Tony Fuller, Steffanie Scott
Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation
Urban Farm DB summary
A comparative study of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) models in Canada and China was conducted based on interviews and survey results. The study developed a framework to compare CSAs based on initiators’ motivations, economic characteristics, ecological practices, shareholder relations, and community building. It was found that CSAs in both Canada and China are struggling to maintain the movement’s original values and economic viability, moving away from the traditional ‘risk sharing’ approach to more flexible payment mechanisms. However, other original tenets of the CSA model, such as member engagement, are strengthening.