Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
8 results
‘It's a Gender Issue’: Women Farmers in Community‐Supported Agriculture
2026Guilherme Raj, Giuseppe Feola, Irina Velicu · Sociologia Ruralis · Portugal
Case studies of three women farmers in two Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives in Portugal used data from semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The study demonstrated that while CSA initiatives are conducive to women farmers’ emancipation, the absence of collective efforts to address unequal gender relations hinders their transformative potential. CSA initiatives tend to overlook power imbalances emerging from their internal micro-politics and neglect the ambivalent effects shaping their transformative efforts.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceLifelong learning in sustainability-led initiatives: Exploring their learning potential along the reworked four pillars of education
2025Lena Schmeiduch, Émile Thévenot · International Review of Education · Global
This study explored the potential for lifelong learning within sustainability-led initiatives, such as ecovillages and community-supported agriculture, through the theoretical lens of Noah Sobe's four pillars of lifelong education. While these initiatives offer opportunities to address sustainability-related challenges, their insular nature and limited accessibility have drawn criticism in the literature on sustainability transitions. The analysis suggests that these initiatives and lifelong learning agendas frequently converge in their framing of sustainability issues.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood educationEconomicsOrganizing Tensions in Community-Supported Agriculture
2023Megan K. Schraedley · · Global
This chapter examines Sweet Water Farm, a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, through a participant's perspective, analyzing organizing practices by highlighting three tensions. These include the tension between community creation and customer management, issues of inclusion and exclusion from CSAs, and the challenge of transforming capitalist economic structures while operating within them. The study reveals that while CSAs offer potential for addressing equity in the food system, questions persist regarding their long-term adoption by diverse communities as an alternative to conventional agriculture.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCaring in unequal worlds
2023Miriam Williams, Lillian Tait · · Australia (Sydney)
This chapter reflects on how attention to care helps understand the hopes and troubles shaping Community Food Initiatives (CFIs) in unequal worlds. Drawing on data from a 2019 research project documenting CFIs across metropolitan Sydney, Australia, the chapter analyzes two initiatives: the Addison Road Community Centre Organisation (ARCCO) Food Pantry and Five Serves Produce Community Support Agriculture Scheme (CSA). The analysis reveals expansive communities involving human and non-human others that are cared for, cared about, and cared with CFIs, highlighting the complexities of care in unequal contexts.
Equity & displacementCommunityCSA & TeikeiWelfareGender, Ethnicity, And Poverty
2016Michael Carolan · · Global
This chapter examines how gender, race, and ethnicity are theorized and studied within agri-food scholarship. It notes that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes and farmers' markets, even when intended for low-income minority groups, often serve affluent, educated European American consumers. Additionally, women in rural Ethiopia face significant problems in food security due to their social status and higher dependence on agriculture for survival compared to men.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiWelfareFrån konsument till medproducent
2015Jenny Sjöblom · · Sweden
This study describes the origin and development of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Sweden, identifying and interviewing organizations and entrepreneurs. While CSA is nascent but growing, with prerequisites for expansion in both rural and urban areas, the study notes implications regarding its accessibility to the broader population that require further exploration.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiCommunityUrban–rural linkageFood sovereignty & justiceImproving access to community‐based food systems: Comparing perspectives of low socioeconomic individuals and food system representatives
2014Kylie Markow, Sue Booth, Stephanie Savio, John Coveney · Nutrition & Dietetics · Global
This study compared perspectives of low socioeconomic individuals and food system representatives regarding access to community-based food systems. Focus groups with low socioeconomic individuals and interviews with food system representatives revealed that affordability, convenience, and knowledge were barriers. While representatives acknowledged these barriers, their understanding of importance differed, and views were divided on strategies, especially concerning affordability. A disconnect exists between the two groups' views on improving access for disadvantaged groups.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiWelfareEconomicsCommunityAgrileisure
2014James Farmer, Charles Chancellor, Jennifer Meta Robinson, Stephanie T. West, Melissa S. Weddell · Journal of Leisure Research · Global
This study collected data from 712 individuals regarding participation in local food systems, including farmers' markets and CSA programs. Findings revealed a significant association between participants and privilege variables, suggesting that despite promotion, barriers exclude many from engaging in these agrileisure opportunities.
Equity & displacementCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityWelfare