Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

what does the community sustain?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24302/drd.v12.3567

Abstract

The Community Sustaining Agriculture (CSA) is an expanding worldwide phenomenon, based on the commercialization of agroecological products. Founded on principles of trust and reciprocity, the aim is to build work in a sense of community. In this context, the article aimed to understand, in the light of social representations, how CSAs organize themselves and influence the construction of communities to operationalize their actions and sustain the dynamics and principles of these experiences. Through a qualitative investigation in two organizations, the results indicated that farmers and co-producers who remained close to the work organization had a greater sense of community than those who limited themselves to buying and selling relationships. In addition, the CSA, which adopted practices in the effort to establish solidary and cooperative relationships, recorded lower turnover and economic loss, which can be concluded that the feeling of community is a relevant element for the sustainability of solidary organizations in mercantile contexts.

Keywords: Social Representation. CSA. Solidarity Organizations.

Author Biographies

Angelina Moreira Melo, Universidade Feral de Viçosa

Doutoranda em Extensão Rural pela Universidade Federal de Viçosa. Mestre em Extensão Rural pela mesma instituição e Graduada em Agronomia pela Universidade Federal de São João del Rei.

Alair Ferreira de Freitas, Universidade Federal de Viçosa

Doutor em Administração pela UFMG. Atualmente é Professor do Programa de Mestrado e Doutorado em Sociologia e Extensão Rural pela Universidade Federal de Viçosa.

Daniel Calbino, Universidade Federal de São João del Rei

Pós Doutor em Administração pela UFLA. Doutor em Administração pela UFMG. Atualmente é professor Adjunto da UFSJ e do Programa de Mestrado em Educação pela UFVJM. 

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Published

2022-09-19

How to Cite

Melo, A. M., Freitas, A. F. de, & Calbino, D. (2022). Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): what does the community sustain?. DRd - Desenvolvimento Regional Em Debate, 12, 539–562. https://doi.org/10.24302/drd.v12.3567

Issue

Vol. 12 (2022)

Section

Artigos

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