Research & reports

Kévin Bernard, Aurélie Bonein, Douadia Bougherara · 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts · Global

This study investigated consumers' preferences for attributes of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) contracts, focusing on risk and fairness preferences. Two incentivized field experiments were combined with a stated choice survey, interviewing 162 CSA members face-to-face. Consumers were found to be averse to advantageous inequality (AI) towards CSA and non-CSA farmers, and to disadvantageous inequality (DI) towards non-CSA farmers, but also showed evidence of DI seeking towards CSA farmers. Consumers preferred longer contracts, driven by risk rather than fairness, and exhibited a dislike for losses and share price increases.

Marjorie Freedman, Juliana K. King · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · Global

This research surveyed 536 current and former J&P Organics farm CSA subscribers, categorizing them into four groups based on ordering frequency. Findings strongly indicate that a flexible pay-as-you-go CSA subscription model could increase subscriber membership and possibly ordering frequency, especially for those likely to order less frequently than weekly but who are otherwise similar to traditional pay-up-front subscribers in demographics, motivations, satisfaction, and subscription length.

Kimberley Curtis · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global

This book review covers Steven McFadden's "Awakening Community Intelligence," presenting his argument for the exponential expansion of Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). McFadden believes CSAs have the potential to become "community cornerstones" and function as a "network of light-giving impulses" through digital networking, addressing 21st-century challenges.

Dewey Thorbeck · · Global

An essay on land use and food security amid global urbanization describes how the growth of larger farms has strained small rural towns, while small specialty farms near large cities have emerged as a lifestyle choice, providing fresh food through community supported agriculture (CSA) arrangements in which urban residents contract directly with CSA farmers. It also describes community gardens being established on vacant public land in existing urban neighborhoods as part of this fresh-food movement. No empirical study data are presented.

Isidor Wallimann · · Switzerland (Basel)

In 2010, the SEA founded the Urban Agriculture Network Basel Association (UAB) to enhance food production for the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and the urban space. The UAB aims to strengthen the SSE's focus on local and environmental sustainability and shift Basel's food policy towards "food sovereignty." The network fosters social integration by issuing its own hour-based currency and has contributed to building a pilot Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) producer-consumer coop for solar-powered cheese.

Claire L. McCarty, Pamela Dixon · Journal of case studies · Global

A case study on the West Central Food Hub Producers' Co-op reveals that the group decided not to proceed with starting the Food Hub Co-op. The decision was made because the costs for management, infrastructure, and delivery would far outweigh the co-op's profitability, leading to its discontinuation.

R. Alan Wight · Environmental Education Research · Global

This abstract cites a study titled "Community supported agriculture as public education: networked communities of practice building alternative agrifood systems." The study was published in Environmental Education Research, volume 22, issue 3, pages 456–457.

Jenny 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Brînduşa Bîrhală, Judith Möllers, Bîrhală, Brînduşa, Möllers, Judith · 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia · Romania

This study investigates Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Romania as a viable rural innovation for small-scale farms and consumers. Based on three case studies of pioneering CSA farmers in Western Romania, the research found that consumers are motivated by value-based considerations like healthy diets, while farmers find CSA attractive for price premiums and market access. Both farmers and consumers engage in CSA partnerships to compensate for market failures.

Brînduşa Bîrhală, Judith Möllers, Bîrhală, Brînduşa, Möllers, Judith · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · Romania

This study investigated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Romania, focusing on costs and benefits for both farmers and consumers in three pioneering CSA groups offering organic vegetables to contracted consumers in the western part of the country. It found that consumers are typically urban dwellers with higher education and income, prioritizing organic-quality fresh products over solidarity, which is a value aspired by the initiating NGO. Farmers' main motivation for CSA involvement is the need for a stable market with fair prices, indicating that both parties use CSA to compensate for market failures.

Liang Da · Shipin yanjiu yu kaifa · Global

A conceptual paper (Shipin yanjiu yu kaifa, 2014) analyzes the function and mechanism of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from a food-safety perspective, framing CSA as a response to environmental problems associated with intensive traditional agriculture. It discusses CSA's development prospects and proposes alternative approaches for green, ecological, leisure-oriented agriculture, without presenting empirical data or numeric findings.