Abstract
Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs have recently received attention for their potential to influence food lifestyle behaviors and health outcomes. We build on and expand inquiries into the relationship between CSA participation and behavior change by presenting the results from a controlled pilot study of first-time CSA shareholders. We offered 95 first-time shareholders a $200 voucher to participate in a CSA. Prior to and immediately following CSA participation, these shareholders completed a survey on food lifestyle behaviors. Using econometric analyses, we measured shareholder behavior changes against an 82 person control group. All participants were drawn from a pool of individuals involved in a university wellness program. From these analyses, we identified potential benefits and changes to shareholders in four unique categories: (1) fresh versus processed food consumption; (2) food prepared at home versus away from home; (3) food purchasing behavior and interest in nutrition; and (4) self-reported health outcomes. Changes within these categories and differences between test and control were more strongly realized in shareholders who reported lower than average health prior to the CSA. We conclude with a discussion about the potential of incentivized CSAs to serve as a novel preventative health intervention.
Highlights
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is unique direct-to-consumer (DTC) production and distribution model that may play an important role in expanding sustainable agriculture practices
The CSA voucher concept is designed to diversify the demographics of the average shareholder to put them closer to the general population
Our results show that first-time shareholders increase their fruit and vegetable consumption by over half a serving per day on average relative to consumption before joining the CSA
Summary
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is unique direct-to-consumer (DTC) production and distribution model that may play an important role in expanding sustainable agriculture practices. CSAs are designed to mitigate economic and production risks for producers. In an average CSA, consumers purchase a share of a farm’s harvest prior to the growing season. A standard share costs between 500 and 800 dollars, and subscribers often pay this fee prior to the growing season or in a few installments. Subscribers share in the producers’ production risks with this pre-payment [1,2]. Producers gain a clearer sense of the season’s consumer demand and revenue streams and can plan production to meet the expectations of the shareholder. CSAs emphasize relationship building between producers and CSA subscribers that may increase consumer literacy regarding agricultural and food issues
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