A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Scaling-up local foods: Commodity practice in community supported agriculture (CSA)
Abstract Non-profit, consumer, and government advocates are working to expand access to locally-produced foods as a way of addressing major social and ecological issues. Some activists, however, suggest that farms “scaling-up” production and distribution may lose sight of the movement's aims by circumventing a direct exchange between growing and consumer and by delivering “local” shares long distances. I argue that in order to answer whether scaling-up is misguided, we first have to understand how farms come to scale differently. I describe the varied practices that three community supported agriculture (CSA) farms in the Midwest perform in order to give their products market value as embedded in a specific socio-ecological context. I focus on three key moments of CSA that advocates are concerned about in scaling-up: 1) the employment of different kinds of labor; 2) operating within the seasons; 3) the management of sharer expectations about produce quantity and quality. As what I call commodity practice, farm decisions about these factors produce differently scaled local food commodities. These different practices are not necessarily incongruent with the aims of the movement. My main point in this approach is to advance an awareness of hybridity in local food institutions. As CSAs and other institutions like food hubs grow and evolve, a look at commodity practices can shed light on and confound some of the apparent contradictions in scaling-up.
Highlights Scaling-up local foods causes activist concern over achieving social and ecological goals. To answer whether scaling-up is misguided, we must explain how farms come to scale differently. I present case studies with three midwestern US community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms. I describe commodity practices of managing labor, seasonality, and CSA sharer expectations. Practices scale each operation differently but may not be incongruent with local food movement's aims.
Scaling-up local foods: Commodity practice in community supported agriculture (CSA)
Abstract Non-profit, consumer, and government advocates are working to expand access to locally-produced foods as a way of addressing major social and ecological issues. Some activists, however, suggest that farms “scaling-up” production and distribution may lose sight of the movement's aims by circumventing a direct exchange between growing and consumer and by delivering “local” shares long distances. I argue that in order to answer whether scaling-up is misguided, we first have to understand how farms come to scale differently. I describe the varied practices that three community supported agriculture (CSA) farms in the Midwest perform in order to give their products market value as embedded in a specific socio-ecological context. I focus on three key moments of CSA that advocates are concerned about in scaling-up: 1) the employment of different kinds of labor; 2) operating within the seasons; 3) the management of sharer expectations about produce quantity and quality. As what I call commodity practice, farm decisions about these factors produce differently scaled local food commodities. These different practices are not necessarily incongruent with the aims of the movement. My main point in this approach is to advance an awareness of hybridity in local food institutions. As CSAs and other institutions like food hubs grow and evolve, a look at commodity practices can shed light on and confound some of the apparent contradictions in scaling-up.
Highlights Scaling-up local foods causes activist concern over achieving social and ecological goals. To answer whether scaling-up is misguided, we must explain how farms come to scale differently. I present case studies with three midwestern US community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms. I describe commodity practices of managing labor, seasonality, and CSA sharer expectations. Practices scale each operation differently but may not be incongruent with local food movement's aims.
Scaling-up local foods: Commodity practice in community supported agriculture (CSA)
Nost, Eric (author)
Journal of Rural Studies ; 34 ; 152-160
2014-01-01
9 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Scaling-up local foods: Commodity practice in community supported agriculture (CSA)
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