Presented by Bernd Bonfert

In community-supported agriculture (CSA), farmers and local households share both the financial burden and products of agriculture, thus producing and distributing food through short supply chains independently of the market. This practice offers many social, economic and ecological benefits, thereby contributing towards a more resilient and sustainable food system. In this session, I will explain how larger CSA networks can expand the practice beyond the local scale and engage in political activism, before discussing what challenges they face.

Based on my research within the CS2 work package ‘Foundational economy, citizenship and new forms of common ownership’ I will present recent findings into the UK’s national CSA network, as well as share preliminary reflections on my investigation of regional CSA collaborations in Wales and East Germany.