Community Supported Agriculture - CSA

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a concept that links citizens with local farmers and farms with environmentally friendly practices through a harvest partnership. You become a "partner" of a farm by purchasing a share of the harvest in advance. Participating vegetable farms deliver weekly baskets of various vegetables to a fixed point in a neighbourhood. The livestock farms offer their various cuts for an initial deposit.

A win-win partnership Community Supported Agriculture offers the citizen : - the privilege of a direct link with a farmer ; - access to healthy, freshly picked vegetables; - a role as an important player in the development of organic and local agriculture in Quebec and food sovereignty.

It offers farms : - the support of a group of committed citizens ; - the guarantee of an income early in the season; - the possibility of planning production and harvests in advance.

It requires the citizens : - to collect their basket each week from the drop-off point ; - to pay in advance for their vegetables or meat; - to cook according to the contents of their surprise basket and to participate in the project.

It requires farms to : - rigorous planning and fine management of diversified production or organic livestock farming; - a link with several "clients" who have become "partners" rather than with a distributor.

2. Equivalent concepts

3.History of the concept

4. Public policies associated with this theme

5. CSA in the world The term "Community Supported Agriculture" is a generic term. It is used as such in North America. In other countries, the designations may be different. Internationally, the term that seems to be emerging is Local Solidarity Partnerships between Producers and Consumers.

6. Main networks working on this issue The URGENCI network brings together Local Solidarity Partnerships between Producers and Consumers (LSPC) actors worldwide, all kinds of Community Supported Agriculture initiatives, as a solution to the problems associated with global intensive agricultural production and distribution. Urgenci is a member of RIPESS Intercontinental and RIPESS Europe.

7. Links 7.a With socioeco.org You will find here the documents, videos, pedagogical tools, case studies and articles from independant medias on CSA: http://www.socioeco.org/bdf_motcle-thema-82_en.html

7.b With Ripess NL articles or position papers

• What are we going to eat tomorrow around the Mediterranean sea ? Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - April 2022, Jocelyn Parot

• Preparing for the event “Social Economy, the Future of Europe” – Strasbourg, May 2022: Urgenci contribution, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - March 2022 - March 2022,Judith Hitchman, Urgenci

• CSA’s, about community processes as core to systemic change and justice (Finland), Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - February 2022, Ruby Van der Wekken, Commons FI

• URGENCI’s e-learning hub, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - January 2022, Judith Hitchman, Urgenci

• Open Food Network: from CSAs to CSS (Community Supported Software), Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - January 2022, Filipa Ferraz,

• More Mentors for Stronger CSA Networks Webinar Report, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - October 2021, Urgenci

• Webinar report : CSA for CSB (Community Seed Banks), Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - May 2021, Urgenci

• Webinar report : “How to Keep Food Community Members Involved?”, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - May 2021, Urgenci

• Award to the UNESCO CRESAÇOR Club, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - February 2021, Ana Silva, Cresaçor

• URGENCI @Oxford Real Farming Conference, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - January 2022, Judith Hitchman, January 2021, Urgenci

• Emergency Relief for People Facing Difficulties, Article Seikatzuclub.coop, June 2020

• National CSA Meeting in Norway, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - January 2020, Alexandra Devik, Organic Norway

• More farmers, better food: Nyéléni ECA releases CAP publication, Article from the RIPESS Europe newsletter - May 2019, Judith Hitchman, Urgenci

• The Co-op Farming Model Might Help Save America’s Small Farms, Annelise Jolley, October 2018

7.c Link with moodle xx 7.d Link to pedagogical tools in socioeco.org

• 10 things to consider when you start a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture):2020

• CSAct! Learn the skills, gain the knowledge, Be part of CSA, 2019

• The CSA farmer to farmer booklet, 2019

• Be Part of CSA! Supporting Booklet for Training on Community Supported Agriculture, 2016

7.e Link to cartography if available 7.f Links with other concepts in Solecopedia: here, for example, agroecology, short circuits, etc.

Links