Tackling Conventional Agriculture: The Institutionalization of Community Supported Agriculture's (CSA) Principles

Claudio Vitari () and Erin Whittingham ()
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Claudio Vitari: IAE Paris - Sorbonne Business School

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Abstract: The conventional agriculture system can cause ecological, social, and economic challenges. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an alternative food system that embodies principles like community building, risk sharing, and ecological sustainability. These principles help to address many social, economic, and ecological inequalities and challenges. In reality however these principles are not always practiced. This article explores the institutionalization of the CSA principles within the field through a literature review and the application of Lawrence and Suddaby's taxonomy of institutional work. It investigates the actions that create, maintain, and disrupt the principles as institutions. Findings show apprenticeship programs as an effective means to spread the CSA philosophy. They also highlight a reluctance by CSA organizers to ensure adherence to rules, while showing that CSA organizers are the most important actor when considering institutionalization. As well, the results reveal some actions that are influenced by conventional thinking or that are aimed at making the CSA experience more convenient led to the disruption of the principles. This reveals the need for research into the intent of actor's when disrupting the principles given the principles importance in addressing problems created by industrial agricultural.

Keywords: Community Supported Agriculture; CSA; Institutionalization; Institutional Work; Community Building; Risk Sharing; Ecological Sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-hme
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Published in Research & Degrowth conference, 2018, Malmo, Sweden

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