Research & reports

G. Bastian, Sarah Lane, Haley McMahon, Olivia Husmann, Evangeline Schumacher · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States

One in eight South Dakota residents faces food insecurity, which has been linked to higher prevalence of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Against this backdrop, this study conducted a preliminary process and impact evaluation of Dakota Food Rx, a pilot community-supported agriculture (CSA) produce prescription (PRx) program in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota. Healthcare providers (Prescribers) referred low-income and/or food-insecure adults with diet-related chronic disease (Patients) to receive weekly produce boxes from a local specialty producer (Grower); evaluation measures included patient pre-post surveys and key informant interviews with Prescribers, Growers and Patients. From June to November 2024, 30 patients participated, receiving 434 produce boxes (mean 14.5 per patient) valued at over $14,000. Ten pre-surveys and eight post-surveys were completed (seven pre-only, five post-only, three both), along with nine interviews. Overall program satisfaction was high, and patients responding at post-test reported higher food security and sense of community than at pre-test. Thematic analysis of the interviews indicated patients improved their diet, food access and overall health, and that relationships were built among program participants; however, Prescribers, Growers and Patients all reported having to adapt to the program, with future considerations including increased communication, improved workflow, and additional resources.

Guilherme Raj, Flor Avelino, Marie-Claire Bribois · Cambridge University Press eBooks · Europe

This chapter argues that power dynamics have received limited attention in sustainability-transitions research despite their centrality to lasting societal change, and introduces two frameworks -- "power to, over, and with" and "three relations of power" -- to analyze how power relations shift over time and are constituted. Applying these frameworks to a case study of community-supported agriculture in Portugal, the analysis shows how individual and collective agency, human and non-human interactions, and historical structures of social relationships shape opportunities and barriers for transitions. It concludes that more power-aware research incorporating non-Western and Indigenous epistemologies is needed.

Ruyu Liu, Daniel Harwood, Ora Kemp, Alyson Rosenthal, Roger Figueroa, PhD, MPH, MSc · Public Health Nutrition · United States (New York City)

A quasi-experimental pilot study with 3-month follow-up assessed a food pantry-led, subsidized community-supported agriculture (CSA) program called Farm Share in New York City. Farm Share provided biweekly bags of about 25 pounds of fresh produce at $5 per bag; control participants were recruited from a comparable food pantry without CSA (Farm Share n=54, control n=69), predominantly Hispanic/Latino, Black or African American, foreign-born, female and with a high school education or lower. Retention at follow-up was 65.0% (Farm Share n=33, control n=47). Skin carotenoids increased by 12 points in the Farm Share group relative to control, adjusted for smoking status, age, sex and birthplace (P=0.005), but total Healthy Eating Index (HEI) declined by 6.3 points (P=0.031) and the saturated fats HEI component declined by 1.1 point (P=0.027) in the Farm Share group. Improvements in fruit and vegetable intake (P=0.25) and food security (P=0.16) were not statistically significant.

· Wikipedia · Canada

Lufa Farms is an urban agriculture company founded in 2009 in Montreal, Canada, that operates commercial hydroponic greenhouses on building rooftops. It runs four rooftop greenhouses, employs about 200 people, and delivers roughly 20,000 baskets weekly to more than 500 pickup points across Quebec.

European Social Fund Plus (European Commission) · European Social Fund Plus, Social Innovation Match · Netherlands

A case study of Herenboeren, a Dutch citizen-owned cooperative farm model started in 2016. Around 250 households jointly finance and govern each 'Herenboerderij', paying a one-off investment of roughly €2,000–2,500 and a monthly fee of about €45–80 (depending on location and meat consumption) in exchange for a weekly share of seasonal vegetables, fruit, eggs, and optionally meat. Professional farmers are employed to run nature-driven production. As of 2026 there are 23 operational farms across the Netherlands with more than 9,000 citizen members.

· Wikipedia (English) · Singapore

English Wikipedia entry on community gardening in Singapore. The 'Community in Bloom' scheme, launched in May 2005 at Mayfair Park Estate, had grown to over 2,000 community gardens by 2025. The 'allotment gardens' scheme, introduced in 2016, expanded at roughly 300 plots per year from 2016 to 2021 and had exceeded 2,500 plots by 2025. A 2022 survey found 88% of plants grown were edible.

Bernd Bonfert · Environment and Planning D Society and Space · Europe

This article investigates the role of 'commons networks' in organizing and scaling a commons-based economy, focusing on community-supported agriculture and energy communities in the UK, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Data was collected from qualitative case studies using interviews, observation, and document analyses. The study reveals a trend towards centralization in network governance, different scaling approaches between the food and energy sectors, and challenges of commodification and institutionalization.

Fatah ‘Izzani Salim, Trie Damayanti, Nurmaya Prahatmaja · SAFARI Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Indonesia · Indonesia (Bandung City)

This final project report describes the production of the feature video "Menyemai Harapan, Memanen Kebersamaan," motivated by the urgency of food security in Bandung City's urbanization and the need to highlight community-based sustainable local alternative agriculture systems. The primary objective is to explain the implementation of image-taking techniques, including shot types, camera angles, camera movements, and framing, executed by the Director of Photography (DoP) during the video production presenting the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model at Seni Tani. The report concludes that the DoP's mastery of filming techniques plays a crucial role in raising public awareness about community-based sustainable local alternative agriculture systems.

Madeleine Pries, Walther Zeug, Daniela Thrän · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · Germany (Leipzig)

A Holistic and Integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (HILCSA) was applied to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative in Leipzig, Germany, supplying seven fruits and vegetables to schools, comparing it to a conventional food market. Based on 82 indicators, the CSA showed 63% fewer sustainability risks and a positive contribution to SDGs, with replacing conventional supply for 200 pupils avoiding 1 ton of CO2 equivalents annually. However, the CSA had significantly lower yields than conventional production, despite similar water, land, and energy uses per hectare, and spent mushroom substrate caused the highest upstream impacts.

Rita de Cássia Lisboa Ribeiro, Cecília Rocha, Andhressa Araújo Fagundes · Urban Planning · Brazil

An integrative literature review investigated the potential of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) to promote food security in Brazil. CSA can ensure a decent income for family farmers, reducing social vulnerability, and shows significant potential for promoting food sustainability due to its strong influence from agroecology. However, CSA faces a significant limitation in the elitization of this movement, reflecting historical social inequalities where only a relatively small portion of the population can afford healthier food.

Sota Takagi, Miki Saijo, T. Ohashi · International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science · Japan

This study identified potential Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) participants in Japan and validated existing theories on CSA participation through a quantitative analysis of 2484 Japanese consumers using choice experiments and Latent Class Analysis. Five distinct consumer segments were identified, with "Food Education and Learning Opportunities" and "Contribution to Environmental and Social Issues" being key drivers for participation across all segments. Factors related to "Variety of Ingredients" were less influential.

Caitlin Morgan · Gastronomica The Journal of Food and Culture · United States (upstate New York)

This study is a case study of Essex Farm, a full-diet Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation in upstate New York. The farm struggled to balance its ecological and social values with the economic imperatives and pressures of surviving in a competitive, capitalist market. Consequently, the farm's social fabric, critical to its initial success, began to fray over time.

Budi Widianarko, Inneke Hantoro, Novita Ika Putri, Probo Y. Nugrahedi · Open Agriculture · Indonesia (Semarang)

This study explored the potential of short food supply chains (SFSCs) in Semarang City, Indonesia, to create a healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable food system. Desk studies and focus group discussions revealed Semarang City's readiness for SFSCs, evidenced by an increase in farmer groups (371 in 2017 to 406 in 2021) and urban farming initiatives (8 in 2015 to 113 in 2021). Key commodities include vegetables, fruits, cereals, and tubers, with success factors identified as quality, consistency, market access, technology, government support, institutional strength, and consumer education.

Lee Jolliffe, Moe Nakashima · · Japan

This chapter explores the use of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) as a model of collaborative consumption by a tea farm in Japan. The case study, Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms, LLC, is a social enterprise that implements CSA principles, allowing subscribers to receive the coming year's tea harvest and symbolic ownership of a tea field section. This model is driven by socio-economic objectives and aims to build a community of tea drinkers who support the farm.

Andrea Vetter, Matthias Fersterer · · Global

This chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Degrowth (2025) examines the concepts of 'conviviality' and 'commoning' from a degrowth perspective. Conviviality refers to the quality of relationships between humans and non-humans, while commoning involves organizing these relationships. The authors use examples like composting toilets and community-supported agriculture to illustrate the potential of these concepts to foster prefigurative politics and direct action.

Lena Schmeiduch, Paula Blumenschein, Jane Gösling, Karsten Müller · Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology · Global

This study investigated pathways to joining sustainable communities by conducting 28 narrative interviews with active members. Analysis focused on life experiences, personal motives, and transformative experiences, identifying three pathways: viewing the community as a logical step in a sustainable lifestyle, desiring a sense of community and solidarity, and seeking alternatives to mainstream societal structures.

Jairus Rossi, Tamora Pierce, Shuoli Zhao, Timothy Woods · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Kentucky)

A survey was conducted among 172 shareholders and non-shareholders of an employer-sponsored CSA voucher program at the University of Kentucky to understand consumer values influencing their decision to join a CSA. Best-worst scaling analysis showed that subscribers were primarily interested in product quality and local economic impacts, while those who declined a CSA focused on perceived food affordability.

Stefan Galley, Rita Saleh, Patrick Bottazzi · Journal of Rural Studies · Switzerland

This qualitative study compares three Swiss communal agricultural prosumption (CAP) types: allotment gardens (AGs), community gardens (CGs), and community supported agriculture (CSA), using Grounded Theory. It found that community-centred CAPs (CSAs, CGs) generate political agency but face financial barriers limiting participation. Individual-centred CAPs (AGs) offer autonomy but have high knowledge requirements and lack political leverage, posing crucial challenges for long-term viability. The study concludes that targeted policy and institutional strategies are needed to ensure the continuity of all CAP types.

Sarah Steinegger, Nora Katharina Faltmann · Journal of Political Ecology · Switzerland

This qualitative research examined the challenges consumers and farmers face in establishing proximity within a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative in Switzerland that links rural mountain and urban areas. The study found that consumers and farmers are facing challenges in establishing proximity. Nevertheless, shared experiences of farming activities and social events, along with participants' willingness to improve CSA operations and strengthen ties for mutual understanding and joint efforts, contribute to the ongoing process of establishing proximity.

Mitsuhito HOSAKA, Mitsuyo UEMATSU, Hironori Yagi · 農村計画学会誌 · Japan

This study identified the relationship between information management and farm diversification in urban areas using quantitative analysis from the Census of Agriculture and Forestry and a multiple case analysis of seven farmers using farm management information systems (FMIS). Regression analysis revealed that farmers who diversify their businesses, especially those selling directly to consumers or food manufacturers/services, are likely to manage their business information. Multiple case analysis indicated that diversified farmers focus on searching for pesticide information and simplify the management of scheduled and actual farm work.

Jasmine C. Barredo, Sarah G. Colbert, Ada F. Dhaouadi, Samhitha Kolapalli, Elaina Y. Wi · VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) · Global

This literature review evaluates three community strategies involving diet and exercise to mitigate symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The strategies include food-access programs connecting SNAP with Community Supported Agriculture for healthy meals, pricing policies like taxes on high-sugar beverages and subsidies for healthier foods, and structured community exercise programs. These interventions aim to improve PCOS by alleviating symptoms such as insulin resistance and irregular menstruation.

Guilherme Raj, Giuseppe Feola · Local Environment · Portugal

This study longitudinally examines labor in three Portuguese community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives to reconstruct the trajectory of labor diversification over several years. The analysis shows that the CSA setup led to labor diversification in all three case studies. Findings suggest that "community" is an emergent property rather than an inherent quality of CSA, and that empowerment and disempowerment dynamics are crucial in diversifying work relations.

M. L. Wahlqvist · Food and nutrition · Global

This chapter defines food systems and their evolution, noting that current systems contribute significantly to environmental degradation. It highlights the urgent need for transformation due to increasing global food demand, environmental issues, political instability, and climate change. The chapter discusses alternative food systems, including urban agriculture, that prioritize sustainability, resilience, and social justice to address challenges in industrialized food production and ensure access to nutritious food.

Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan, Tori Taniguchi, Kaylee R Clyma, Kristina Gabriel, Jessica Reese, Ying Zhang, Susan B. Sisson, Tara L. Maudrie, Jann Hayman · AJE Advances Research in Epidemiology · United States

The Go Healthy Study is a community-based participatory research study designing a 16-week randomized, wait-list controlled trial for approximately 400 Native American adults in the Osage Nation with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. The intervention includes weekly produce boxes, a healthy eating and traditional foods curriculum, cooking demonstration videos, and a kitchen starter kit. Primary outcomes are to improve systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and to increase fruit and vegetable intake.

Elizabeth C. Ray, Patrick Merle · Journal of Applied Communications · Global

This study, an online between-subjects experiment, examined how consumers (n=182) respond to narrative versus non-narrative email messages from CSAs. Results indicated that consumers who read a short narrative were more likely to feel positive emotion, a communal connection to the farm, and support the farm than those who did not read a narrative. Additionally, a first-person perspective was viewed as less credible than a third-person perspective.