Research & reports

Guo Xiao-ha · Anhui nongye kexue · Global

A discussion of the development of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in China. While CSA has advantages over traditional agricultural production and sales models, the paper identifies limitations including heavy demands on labor and material resources, higher prices for agricultural products, difficulty building trust between producers and consumers, and loss of membership.

Charlotte Flink, Jenny Persson · · Europe

This thesis examines whether Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), as an alternative food production model, can promote sustainable urban and rural development in Sweden, using a Triple Bottom Line (economic, environmental, social) framework across two parts: a literature review and a quantitative participant survey at the CSA farm Stackvallen. The literature review indicated CSA operations can contribute to sustainable societal development through economic stimulus and environmentally sound food supply, while the participant survey found respondents rated the social aspects low and valued the health and environmental aspects more highly.

Simon Meisch · ·

A paper arguing, via the social philosophers Michael Sandel and Alan Gewirth, that sustainable food production and consumption require substantial public debate on their aims and social organisation. It reviews debates over different food regimes and different institutional settings, consumer information/certification versus participatory approaches such as community-supported agriculture, and contends that public debate can be guided by moral principles that carry universal claims while remaining open to different ways of life.

Paul Goeringer, Ashley Newhall, Sarah Everhart · University Libraries (University of Maryland) · United States

A sample Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) contract, developed by the University of Maryland's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Agriculture Law Education Initiative, provides a template to help CSA operators draft their own written contracts; it is a practical legal document rather than a research paper.

Paul Goeringer, Ashley Newhall, Sarah Everhart, Wele Elangwe · University Libraries (University of Maryland) · United States

This guide from the University of Maryland describes what a typical Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) arrangement involves — members pledging to help cover a farm's anticipated production costs in exchange for a share of crops over a specified period, usually summer through early fall — and outlines what farm owners and members should include in a CSA membership agreement.

Dražen Šimleša, Jelena Puđak, Filip Majetić, Anita Bušljeta Tonković · · Europe

This paper sets out a qualitative case-study framework for examining the solidarity economy in Split, Croatia's second-largest city, focused on the association MoST (The Bridge), one of Croatia's designated "Centres of Knowledge" for social development, specializing in social inclusion work with homeless people and at-risk youth. It poses as its research questions the inner potentials, strengths, obstacles, and disadvantages for solidarity economy development in Split at the point when MoST and other local actors were just beginning to promote a "Solidarity City Split" concept; the text as given does not report study findings.

Olga Orlić · Etnološka tribina · Croatia

This paper presents research results on solidarity exchange groups in Zagreb County, Croatia. These groups are described as an alternative form of direct food procurement, primarily organic, from producers. They promote ecological food production, foster equal partnerships between buyers and producers, and build solidarity and trust among people.

Dorottya Szabó, Szabó, Dorottya · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Hungary

This study examines the situation of short supply chains (SSC) in Hungary. It highlights that developing SSC in Hungary is not an easy task, as small farmers typically have weak cooperation and lobbying skills. While traditional direct marketing is common, innovative forms of SSC are rare.

Duncan Hilchey · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

A study in the late 1990s investigated small-scale grower cooperatives in the northeastern United States, which had annual sales of US$5 million or less. It found many barriers to growth, including managers' difficulties in balancing diverse member interests, meeting buyer standards, and operating in a high-cost, low-price business. The Northeast Federation of Family-Farm Cooperatives (NEFFCO), a proposed support group, did not last beyond its grant period, indicating challenges in sustaining such initiatives.

Melea Press, Eric J. Arnould · Journal of Marketing Management · United States

This paper examines how alternative marketing organizations communicate transparency amidst generalized risk and skepticism, using Community Supported Agriculture programs across the United States as context. It contrasts the traditional numeric approach to transparency, involving auditing and third-party certifications, with an alternative narrative transparency approach that emphasizes stakeholder dialogue and invites stakeholders to act as auditors. The article illustrates how alternative marketing organizations employ rhetorical tactics such as persona, allegory, consumer sovereignty, and enlightenment to communicate transparency to their stakeholders.

Zhu Rong-ji · Chinese Horticulture Abstracts · China

After its introduction to China, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) developed rapidly, leading to the emergence of specialized small organic farms. However, these traditional farms cannot meet public demand due to their limited reach. Agricultural demonstration zones, serving as platforms for innovation and incubators, are expected to promote the application and extension of the CSA model in China.

Leia Minaker, Kim D. Raine, Pat Fisher, Mary E. Thompson, Josh van Loon, Lawrence D. Frank · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global

This study examined associations between local food purchasing and diet-related outcomes using surveys from a population-based sample of 2228 households (4902 individuals). Multilevel linear regressions showed that higher frequency of shopping at farmers’ markets and CSAs predicted lower body mass index and waist circumference. Additionally, CSA use predicted better diet quality, after controlling for demographic factors.

Sudha Thapaliya, Matthew G. Interis, Alba J. Collart, Lurleen M. Walters, Kimberly L. Morgan, Thapaliya, Sudha, Interis, Matthew G., Collart, Alba J., Walters, Lurleen, Morgan, Kimberly L. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United States

This study investigated health motivations for purchasing local foods among consumers in the Southeastern United States. It analyzed the effects of specific health variables, focusing on family illness incidences of six diseases (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, back/joint pain, Alzheimer/dementia, and cancer), on local food buying behavior. Using a binary probit model, findings indicated that a family history of cancer and obesity were statistically significant factors in purchasing local foods. Other important factors included a higher physical activity level, following a special diet, and the availability of farmers' markets.

Zoltán Dezsény, Bálint Balázs, Katalin Réthy · · Hungary

This study explored farm enterprises following Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) practices in Hungary. The research confirmed that CSA can be identified as a sustainable rural business strategy for innovative organic farmers. It also has transformative potential for food-system localization, providing decent livelihood, good care of natural resources, and strengthening social cohesion within the rural-urban interface in Hungary.

Song Pin · Anhui nongye kexue · Global

This paper examines the obstacles and forming factors in project financing for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), identifying problems such as imperfect investment entities, unclear financing objectives, and single investment methods and channels. Using a four-stakeholder model (project investors, national policy, CSA, and consumers), the study elaborates on the causes of these financing difficulties. It proposes solutions including strengthening CSA's brand and marketing to cultivate loyal customers, and leveraging government, financial institutions, and private capital to address financing challenges.

Erin Silva, Fengxia Dong, Paul D. Mitchell, John Hendrickson · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Wisconsin)

A survey of Wisconsin-certified organic vegetable farmers investigated the relationships between farm characteristics, marketing strategies, and farmers' perceptions of profitability and quality of life. The data indicated that farmers selling into farmers' markets and through community-supported agriculture (CSA) were more likely to be dissatisfied with their profitability. Conversely, farmers selling into wholesale markets and restaurants/institutions were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their quality of life.

Jeanne Simonelli, Stephanie Paladino · Culture Agriculture Food and Environment · United States

This issue focuses on the movement to reintegrate food production into the civic, moral, and economic life of communities. Specifically, it highlights a qualitative study on the perceived benefits of community gardening in Baltimore, Maryland. The study explores the benefits to individuals, neighborhoods, and the city, suggesting these can be used as urban planning tools for developing healthy urban environments.

Bernadett Kis · Annals of Leisure Research · Hungary

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a relatively new concept in Hungary, with only five or six "share CSAs" established. This paper presents how the French variation of CSA (AMAP) was adopted in Szeged, Hungary, and how this vegetable community functions, along with its leisure and health impacts on the author. The author's CSA membership is interpreted from a health and leisure perspective, connecting it to health promotion and Blackshaw's 'liquid leisure' concept.

Sandrine Costa, Lydia Zepeda, Lucie Sirieix · International Journal of Consumer Studies · France

A qualitative study in Montpellier, France, with 20 participants across four group interviews, investigated the social value of organic food. The study found that organic food holds social value for participants, which varies depending on the purchase venue (community-supported agriculture, market, or supermarket) and whether consumers or producers demonstrate additional green behaviors. The findings suggest the utility of a quantitative study for a larger sample.

Kylie 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.

Benedetto Rocchi · RIVISTA DI ECONOMIA AGRARIA · Global

This paper discusses the relevance of “relational goods” in studying the economics of agriculture and food supply chains. The concept of relational goods is used to discuss three specific topics: overcoming information asymmetries in the agro-food system, labor organization in agriculture, and social farming. The creation of relational assets can ease information problems in marketing and deepen the understanding of alternative food supply chains. Social farming clearly demonstrates the economic and social relevance of relational goods, where production activities become opportunities for personal care.

John Ikerd · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global

Cooperation is presented as a key concept in the sustainability movement, particularly in food systems, as a response to economic competition. Food-related cooperatives include various models like regional food hubs and CSAs. While cooperation is vital, the text also acknowledges the human tendency to compete, arguing that unrestrained competition is unsustainable.

Brian S. Butler, Diane M. Travis, Catherine M. Ridings, Zach G. Zacharia · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · Global

This study uses data from a national survey of local food producers to show how different institutional logics can result in varied IT use profiles and complex outcomes in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. It highlights challenges for IT in supporting local food systems where multiple logics coexist.

Lydia Zepeda, Anna Reznickova, Willow Saranna Russell, David Hettenbach, Zepeda, Lydia, Reznickova, Anna "Alice", Russell, Willow Saranna, Hettenbach, David · Journal of food distribution research · Global

This paper uses a focus group study to examine the symbolic value of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a vegetable delivery system. It finds that for both current and former members, CSA confers symbolic and private meaning and status to vegetables, but has little influence on the perceived status of agriculture itself. Only continuing CSA members demonstrate learned cues, perceptions of appraisal, improved role performance, and confer status to the CSA farmer.

James 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.