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There is need for a transition of the food system towards more sustainable cultivation methods and more plant-based diets (Billen et al., 2021; Willett et al., 2020). Community supported agriculture (CSA) may have a positive environmental impact locally and increase vegetable intake among members (Medici et al., 2023). It is a format for provisioning food locally, where consumers to various degrees are involved in the production process. In this study we search to identify factors that have a positive impact on members’ contentment with CSAs and that contribute to increase their consumption of vegetables. We also explore differences between CSAs in Norway and the UK in terms of organisational models and member characteristics.
In collaboration with CSA network organisation in the UK and Norway, an electronic survey with CSA members was performed in the two countries, and the data was analysed as summary statistics and with correlation and regression analyses.
The results show that, compared with the British, Norwegian CSA members participate far more actively in the cultivation and harvesting of the vegetables, and they more often make the prepayment for the whole season. In both countries, CSA membership was perceived to have caused improvements in members’ life quality, physical and mental health, and vegetable intake, corroborating with other studies (Mills et al., 2021; Zepeda et al., 2013). Regression analyses show that members who participated more actively in the CSA, who were concerned about environment when buying food, and who received more of their vegetables through the CSA, were also more satisfied with their CSA and had a stronger perception that their vegetable consumption level has increased as a result of their membership. Members with lower education were more likely to have discovered new vegetables through the CSA. Correlation analyses find that vegetable quality and affordability is associated with higher contentment, and that learning how to cook and grow vegetables through the CSA is associated with higher consumption of and interest for new vegetables.
Overall, the results indicate that CSAs stimulate contentment with organisational models which imply active participation of members. However, despite their more active involvement in the growing process, Norwegian CSA members are not more satisfied with their CSAs than the British. This could be explained by British CSAs high involvement of members in social activities, which might have a similar effect as a more practical involvement. Members’ emphasis on environmental aspects indicates that sustainable production methods are important for CSAs to remain attractive. However, CSAs in both countries must be able to supply good quality and affordable vegetables in sufficient quantities to keep their members happy. For vegetable consumption to increase through CSA membership, it could be beneficial to provide courses on how to grow vegetables, and information about how to cook them.
Billen, G., Aguilera, E., Einarsson, R., Garnier, J., Gingrich, S., Grizzetti, B., Lassaletta, L., Le Noe, J., & Sanz-Cobena, A. (2021). Reshaping the European agro-food system and closing its nitrogen cycle: The potential of combining dietary change, agroecology, and circularity. One Earth, 4(6), 839-850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.05.008
Medici, M., Canavari, M., & Castellini, A. (2023). An analytical framework to measure the social return of community-supported agriculture. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 47(9), 1319-1340.
Mills, S., Furness, E., Clear, A. K., Finnigan, S. M., Meador, E., Milne, A. E., Sharp, R. T., & Bellamy, A. S. (2021). The role of community-supported agriculture in building health and sustainability into UK diets: a mixed methods study. Lancet, 398, 68-68. <Go to ISI>://WOS:000723044300068
Willett, W., Rockstrom, J., & Loken, B. (2020). Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems (vol 393, pg 447, 2018). Lancet, 395(10221), 338-338. <Go to ISI>://WOS:000510860200032
Zepeda, L., Reznickova, A., & Russell, W. S. (2013). CSA membership and psychological needs fulfillment: an application of self-determination theory. Agriculture and Human Values, 30(4), 605-614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-013-9432-z
| Keywords | Community supported agriculture; Short food supply chains; Sustainable production methods; Dietary transition; Organisation models |
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