Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
146 results(3 / 6)
Consumer Citizenship Outside the Consumption Domain: Conceptualizing Motivation from a Self-Determination Perspective
2021Eranjana Kathriarachchi, Dinuka Wijetunga · Sri Lanka Journal of Management Studies · Global
Consumer citizenship has gained attention, with consumers exhibiting citizenship behaviors in non-consumption arenas, beyond choice, purchase, and use. Such behaviors are evident in consumer involvement in organized movements related to organic farming and consumption, like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). Guided by Self-Determination Theory and current literature, this paper presents three propositions on how consumers may be motivated to engage in citizenship behaviors outside the domain of consumption, such as volunteering as evaluators in PGS.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityOffsetting the cost of community-supported agriculture (CSA) for low-income families: perceptions and experiences of CSA farmers and members
2021Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Leah C. Volpe, Marilyn Sitaker, Emily H. Belarmino, Amari Sealey, Weiwei Wang, Florence Becot, Jared T. McGuirt, Alice S. Ammerman, Karla L. Hanson, Jane Kolodinsky, Rebecca A. Seguin‐Fowler · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · Global
This study interviewed 24 CSA farmers and 20 full-pay CSA members about their perceptions and experiences with cost-offset Community-Supported Agriculture (CO-CSA) models and specific cost-offset mechanisms, to understand the potential of CO-CSA for low-income households. Both farmers and members prioritized ensuring access to healthy food regardless of income level and generally favored member donations for funding CO-CSA. However, a commonly mentioned barrier was the potential time burden on CSA farmers for administering cost-offset programs, raising questions about economic viability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfarePolitical consumerism and food activism
2021Jasmine Lorenzini · · Global
This chapter discusses political consumerism and market-based activism, defining the latter to include political consumerism, food collectives like community-supported agriculture, and lifestyle activism such as veganism. It then examines different conceptions of social change in relation to these modes of action. Finally, the chapter presents transformative actions within the environmental movement, highlighting how political consumerism and food activism embody varied understandings and ideals of democracy.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityKnow the Farmer That Feeds You: A Cross-Country Analysis of Spatial-Relational Proximities and the Attractiveness of Community Supported Agriculture
2021Christina Gugerell, Takeshi Sato, Christine Hvitsand, Daichi Toriyama, Nobuhiro Suzuki, Marianne Penker · Agriculture · Global
This study proposed a framework to distinguish and quantitatively evaluate multiple dimensions of proximity in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Using principal component analysis on a multinational survey, various proximity items were aggregated, and their relationship with CSA attractiveness was examined via multiple regression analysis. Findings indicated that relational proximity, encompassing trust, collaboration, and shared values/knowledge, is more important than spatial proximity for supporting alternative food networks like CSA.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsCollaborative Community-supported Agriculture: Balancing Community Capitals for Producers and Consumers
2020Cornelia Butler Flora, Corry Bregendahl · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Global
This study examines expectations and benefits in collaborative Community-Supported Agriculture (cCSAs) using the community capitals framework, surveying past and present producers and consumers from three of four cCSAs in Iowa. It found that participants who received multiple 'goods' beyond economic benefits, such as social, cultural, human, and political capital, were more likely to continue their associations and were more satisfied. cCSA structures that evolved to maximize multiple capitals for individual producers and consumers proved most sustainable, demonstrating the interactive nature of successful farmer-consumer relationships.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsA közösség által támogatott mezőgazdálkodás szubjektív aspektusai
2020Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Bernadett Kis, György Bárdos · Magyar Pszichológiai Szemle · Hungary
This literature review explored the subjective aspects of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) participation. The methodology involved selecting papers with specific word combinations and further studying references and recommended articles. The review found that CSA participation can be interpreted not only through factual advantages but also through aspects like Similar Thinking, Locality (urban-rural axis), Personal Care, Lifestyle Change, and Rewriting of Schemes, which are considered equally important.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityHealthUrban–rural linkageLocal foods systems and community economic development
2020Steven C. Deller, David Lamie, Maureen Stickel · · Global
This review provides a critical analysis of current research on local and regional food networks, including urban farming projects. It reveals that many presumptions of the local food movement remain largely untested, and much of the current research lacks strong theoretical grounding and quantitative rigor. The review emphasizes the importance for practitioners to distinguish between objective, research-based information and speculative, advocacy-oriented analysis.
Methodological critiqueEconomicsPolicyCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceArticuler un « penser global » et un « agir local » : la territorialisation des « Community Supported Agriculture »
2020Michaël Pouzenc · Développement durable et territoires · Global
This study demonstrated that the "local to global relationship" in the territorialization of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) interacts with, rather than replaces, multiscalar territorialization. Through local observations in France and Mexico, combined with a literature review, a cartographic analysis of CSAs in Europe, and an analysis of their websites, the role of geographical scales implied by the convergence between the ecologization of practices and the territorialization of activities was clarified.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunityEcological Resilience of Food Systems in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis
2020James Worstell · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
This paper examines the resilience of food systems during the COVID-19 disruption. It notes trends such as direct food delivery, online farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), backyard food production, expansion of seed producers and plant nurseries, and increased home cooking. These trends are viewed as complex adaptive systems.
CSA & TeikeiDIYClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceFogyasztói jóllét a hazai alternatív élelmiszerellátási hálózatokban
2020Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Ágnes Neulinger, Fanni Bársony, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Natasha Gjorevska, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Orsolya Lazányi, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, György Pataki, Sándor Takács, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Anna Török, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem · Marketing & Menedzsment · Hungary (Budapest)
This study investigated subjective well-being (SWB) among 23 consumers of alternative food networks (AFNs) in Budapest through in-depth qualitative interviews. Participation in AFNs was found to contribute to consumer well-being, yet some AFN characteristics negatively influenced consumer SWB. Differences were detected between new and experienced users, users with different motivations, and across different types of AFNs.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiHealthA framework for recognizing diversity beyond capitalism in agri-food systems
2020Olga Vincent, Giuseppe Feola · Journal of Rural Studies · Global
This paper proposes and illustrates a framework for recognizing capitalist, alternative capitalist, and non-capitalist configurations in agri-food systems. Informed by poststructuralist theories, the framework includes dimensions such as ontology, economic relations, relation with the State, and knowledge. Its application to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) cases shows the coexistence of capitalist, alternative-capitalist, or non-capitalist elements within CSA initiatives.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceSustainable agriculture trough regional solidary in global markets
2020Wellbrock Wanja, Daniela Ludin, Ludwig Lisa N, Kristina Muhlfeld, Wolfgang Gerstlberger · Journal of Applied and Physical Sciences · Global
This paper examines whether Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a solution to the dilemma of farmers needing to operate both economically and sustainably. Through an expert interview and a survey of members, the study identifies problems in the realization of a CSA and provides possible solutions.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceFuture research directions
2020Ferne Edwards, Anitra Nelson · · Global
This chapter suggests future research directions in food for degrowth studies, drawing from a collection of case studies and critiques. It offers transdisciplinary theoretical and practical approaches and key research questions, covering topics like household self-provisioning, collective endeavors, networks, and degrowth perspectives on the circular economy and food waste. The chapter proposes research questions related to accessibility, visibility, temporality, spatiality, and various measures.
DIYCSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceCo-Creating Value in Sustainable and Alternative Food Networks: The Case of Community Supported Agriculture in New Zealand
2020Mariarosaria Savarese, Kerry Chamberlain, Guendalina Graffigna · Sustainability · New Zealand
This qualitative study explored how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in New Zealand create value for sustainability practices from both farmer and consumer perspectives. The research, conducted using focused ethnography, found that CSA is a complex concept involving active consumer participation in economic, social, and environmental values. These interconnected values foster an ecosystem where sustainable food practices are promoted through a "learning by doing" process.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceCSA Partnerships for Health: outcome evaluation results from a subsidized community-supported agriculture program to connect safety-net clinic patients with farms to improve dietary behaviors, food security, and overall health.
2020Betty T Izumi, Allea Martin, Teresa Garvin, Cesar Higgins Tejera, Sylvia Ness, Katy Pranian, Lauren Lubowicki · PubMed · Global
This study evaluated the preliminary effectiveness of "CSA Partnerships for Health," a 23-week grant-subsidized Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in improving dietary behaviors, self-efficacy to eat vegetables, food security, and overall health among 48 safety-net clinic patients. This single-group pretest-posttest study utilized interviewer-administered surveys. Statistically significant differences between post-intervention and pre-intervention values were observed for several outcomes, including vegetable intake, orange vegetable intake, eating habits, food security, ability to afford healthy meals, and general health status.
CSA & TeikeiHealthWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceAnalyzing values-based modes of production and consumption: Community-supported agriculture in the Austrian Third Food Regime
2020Christina Plank, Robert Häfner, Rike Stotten · Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie · Austria
This paper analyzes Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Austria, examining its values-based production and consumption within the "third food regime" using an interdisciplinary framework. The study found that CSA is currently a niche in Austria, where solidarity, community attachment, and respect for nature are central ideals for members. However, CSA initiatives face institutional, social, and material challenges in daily practices that require attention for their long-term viability.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceRészvétel a közösség által támogatott mezőgazdaságban: a társas támogatás szerepe
2019Ilona Liliána Birtalan, Bernadett Kis, József Rácz, György Bárdos · Egészségfejlesztés · Global
This qualitative study explored the role of social support in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) participation by conducting 35 semi-structured interviews with CSA members. The thematic analysis revealed three types of social support patterns within members' partner/marital relationships. The findings suggest that CSA membership can redefine individual/family consumption patterns, and the characteristics of social support influence the maintenance and duration of membership.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityHealthInterpartner Risks in Solidarity Partnerships
2019Sonia Aissaoui, Pascale Bueno Merino, Samuel Grandval · · Global
This study discusses the risk of having no contract in a solidarity partnership, specifically Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) formed between an agricultural entrepreneur and consumers, based on an extreme case analysis. Through 47 semi-structured interviews, three non-participant observations, and seven additional semi-structured interviews, findings showed that trust mechanisms can quickly weaken during misunderstandings, exposing partners to the risk of exploiting the agreement. Contractual logic, particularly its coordinating function, complements trust in maintaining the stability of a solidarity partnership.
Governance failureCSA & TeikeiEconomicsPolicyPostdevelopment alternatives in the North
2019Daniel Bendix, Franziska Müller, Aram Ziai · · Global
This study examines alternatives to 'development' in the Global North, focusing on community-supported agriculture (CSA), a tenement trust, and the anti-coal movement. It investigates how these cases align with postdevelopment ideas such as non-capitalist practices, new commons, local knowledge, and a break with colonialism. The research questions the universalization of Western development models and their historical hegemony.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceA snapshot of Community Supported Agriculture in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand 2018
2019Bronwyn Wilkes · ANU Open Research (Australian National University) · Australia, New Zealand
This report presents preliminary descriptive results from a survey of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2018. The survey aimed to gather characteristics of CSA farms operating in the region to capture a point-in-time snapshot. The survey was not intended to provide detailed qualitative information regarding the CSA experience in the region, which is anticipated to be explored in a future series of interviews.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood Activism and Citizens’ Democratic Engagements: What Can We Learn from Market-Based Political Participation?
2019Jasmine Lorenzini · Politics and Governance · Global
This article analyzes the action repertoire of food democracy to assess the influence of market-based logics on various forms of food activism. It addresses which forms of political participation citizens use to democratize the food regime, which conceptions of democracy relate to these forms, and which critiques of market-based politics apply. The article highlights the widespread risk of unequal participation, crowding out, commodification, and state retreat across forms of participation used to democratize food regimes.
Food sovereignty & justiceCommunityCSA & TeikeiHuman Practice Centered Design : Service Designing Practice Transition - Community Supported Agriculture as a Case Study
2018Christiana Lackner · KiltHub Repository · Global
This project explored new ways for designers to model human behavior by using social practices, an approach relatively unexplored in design. It extended social practice models into service design to create tools and approaches that support the development of social practices. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a system where community members buy shares from local farmers for weekly produce, was used as a case study to test these new approaches.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsShort food supply chain
2018Agni Kalfagianni, Sophia Skordili · · Global
This book explores the potential of short food supply chains (SFSCs) to address environmental, social, and economic challenges in the global agri-food system. It demonstrates that SFSCs, including farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture, offer innovative forms of collective action for local sustainable transformations. The book concludes that alternatives to the dominant agri-food system are possible and thriving, but require concerted effort and collaboration to realize their full potential.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood miles & supply chainFood sovereignty & justiceNutrition
2018G. R. SCHMIDT · · Global
This chapter discusses the role of urban and community-supported agriculture (CSA) in developed countries, noting that these initiatives, while struggling, contribute to nutrition, personal agency, values, and green education. It also addresses the less immediate connections between wild regional resources, wild biodiversity, and their potential for agricultural innovation and nutrition.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood educationCommunityA sustainable food-system?
2018Annie Svensson · · Sweden
This research investigated the economic sustainability of 14 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Sweden through interviews. The study found that Swedish CSA farms had difficulties covering labor costs and suffered from inefficiency, indicating weak economic sustainability. The study did not identify specific approaches or business models that were more conducive to higher profitability.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunity