The Impacts of Local Markets: A Review of Research on Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Abstract

A growing interest in sourcing local food prod ucts is reflected in two recent best-selling books (Kingsolver, Hopp, and Kingsolver 2007; Pollan 2008) that make the case for going local. Darby et al. (2008) recently found that consumers prefer locally grown over U.S. grown, even when freshness is held constant, and are willing to pay almost double for a product from a closer location. A sur vey by the Hartman Group (2008) found that many consumers define local in terms of dis tance from their home; one-half said that local meant made or produced within 100 miles, while one-third of consumers (37%) under stood local to mean made or produced in my state. Farmers markets could be considered the historical flagship of local food systems, and their numbers in the United States have grown significantly over the last decade, a 150% in crease from 1994 through 2006 (AMS 2007). Total nationwide sales for the 2005 season were estimated at $1 billion, reflecting 13% sales growth since 2000 (USDA 2006). Re search on farmers markets is not new; an in ventory of farmers market research (Brown 2002) mentions studies as far back as the 1940s. Brown's literature review, however, ends with research in 2000. Since that time the number of farmers markets has increased by 53% (AMS 2007), and research on farmers markets has also grown. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a marketing strategy where consumers buy in the farm before planting begins and receive a portion of whatever is available each week of the growing season. These shares gen erally cost several hundred dollars and provide enough fresh produce for a family; some shares include other products, such as eggs, honey, flowers, and/or meat. First introduced into the United States in 1985 and estimated at only 50 farms in 1990, CSA farms now number over 1,900 (LocalHarvest 2008). Research on CSA has also increased, although much is descrip tive research or case studies of a small number of farms (AFSIC 2008). This review of litera ture focuses on research that examines the im pacts that CSA and farmers markets have on farmers, consumers, and communities, follow ing up on Brown's (2002) findings by reviewing research conducted on farmers markets since 2000.