Impact of Community Supported Agriculture in Wales

Download the Toolkit: CSA Summary PROOF 5.pdf (1)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared. In practice this usually means a group of people in the community (‘the members’) committing to buying a share of the produce from a local farm for a year. In buying a share rather than a fixed amount, members take on some of the risk of food production.

CSA is more than just a different way of selling food. These community food businesses actively build communities around local food. Members are often involved in running the enterprise, for example volunteering on the field or in the packing shed, helping with financial management and marketing and facilitating access to land or capital investment. Celebrating together through gatherings and other social events is a vital element of community building.

Learning and developing skills is a key focus of many CSA enterprises. Members learn new skills through volunteering, and many CSA’s organise workshops and other events for their members and the wider community. As well as informal learning some businesses work closely with schools, universities and other research organisations.

This document gives an overview of CSA in Wales and highlights the benefits it brings for the CSA businesses, the communities they serve and the environment. It is based on research carried out between February and April 2020 supported by Social Farms & Gardens, Tyfu Cymru and the CSA Network UK.

Download the Summary report here: CSA Summary Report

The full report can be found here:https://communitysupportedagriculture.org.uk/resource/impact-of-csa-in-wales-full-report/

For more information visit: www.communitysupportedagriculture.org.uk