Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a form of alternative food network, formally defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):
“Community supported agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.”
Alternative food networks, including CSA, represent efforts to provide sustainable alternatives to the industrialized food system. They have been conceptualized as potential solutions to the many shortcomings of the industrialized food system that make it unsustainable. These include large greenhouse gas emissions associated with long supply chains, significant food waste, lack of freshness or nutritiousness, cultural irrelevance, and the inability of small farms to compete.
The main characteristics of CSA include:
- Member consumers finance the annual operational cost prior to the planting season through pre-payment. In return, they receive a proportional share of the harvest (Blättel-Mink et al., 2016, Paul, 2019). CSA ensures that the farmer(s) has reliable income that adequately covers the production cost, including a living wage for the farmer(s) themselves (Paul, 2019).
- Member consumers share the risk of crop failure and also the reward of a particularly fruitful year, because they are purchasing a fraction of the harvest (Cone & Myhre, 2000).
- Financial disparities between members are accounted for by using some forms of solidarity financing through which CSA members can offer or receive financial support in solidarity with one another. One example of solidarity financing is the “bidding rounds” model, in which each member can suggest how much they are able to pay for the year. If all costs are not covered after a bidding round, the bidding round will be repeated until they are met.
In addition to bolstering the economic sustainability of local small farms, CSA has been suggested to have a range of positive societal impacts. A notable study conducted by Blättel-Mink et al. (2016) delved into the perspectives of CSA members and farmers in Germany, revealing compelling insights. The study found that an impressive majority, specifically over 70% of CSA members, expressed a strong belief in the prevailing sense of solidarity within their particular farm community. This finding underscores the social dimension of CSA, highlighting how it fosters a sense of connectedness and mutual support among participants. Moreover, the research also shed light on the viewpoints of CSA farmers themselves, with approximately 90% of them concurring that the spirit of solidarity is notably pronounced on their farms. This observation signifies the positive social dynamics that emerge within CSA arrangements, where farmers and consumers join forces in a shared commitment to sustainable agriculture and local food production.
Blättel-Mink, B, Boddenberg, M, Gunkel, L, Schmitz, S, Vaessen, F. (2017). Beyond the market—New practices of supply in times of crisis: The example community-supported agriculture. Int J Consum Stud., 41: 415– 421. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12351
Cone, C., & Myhre, A. (2000). Community‐supported agriculture: A sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture? Human Organization, 59(2), 187–197.
Paul, M. (2019). Community‐supported agriculture in the United States: Social, ecological, and economic benefits to farming. Journal of Agrarian Change, 19(1), 162–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12280
USDA: https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture
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