Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

CSA brings consumers and farmers into a mutual gain relationship. CSAs involve the creation of a direct relationship between farmers and consumers, and helping to make small farms more economically and environmentally sustainable. CSAs also have the advantage of helping consumers to reconnect with the source of their food.

Although CSAs come in many forms, a CSA basically consists of a community of individuals who commit to support a farm (or farms) operation, ie they provide mutual support and share the risks and benefits of food production. Members of shareholders guarantee to pay for produce before it is planted. In some CSAs members or shareholders of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farming operation and the farmer's salary. The members or shareholders receive shares in the farm's produce throughout the growing season, and they share the risks, which can include poor harvest due to unfavourable weather or pests. This system helps consumers to understand the plight of farmers. Some CSAs involve the community renting land and hiring a farmer. The forms of CSA are varied enough to allow for individual community/farmer needs.

The CSA concept depends on, and fosters a strong sense of community and cooperation. One of the original aims was to enlist urban people in support of local agriculture. Usually CSAs are started as an alternative produce-marketing method by a landowner, with support from local or regional sustainable agriculture organizations or other NGOs.

CSAs seem to work best within existing communities either geographic communities ie defined area where there are cohesive bonds, or psychological communities such as local religious, environmental or work groups.

CSAs are growing rapidly in Europe, USA and Japan. In the USA there are between 800 and 1000 working CSA projects. The move to organic CSAs usually occurs when two things happen. Firstly, small organic farmers find it increasingly difficult to stay viable, and secondly consumers awareness of the need for organic produce increases, and their sense of alienation from their food demands some sense of reconnection. People are wanting to know where, and how their food is produced, and they want to know that it is organic and safe to eat.