Key factors determining the long term success of CSA projects in Wales

Summary

The objective of this report is to produce a "survival guide" for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes in Wales based on a review of CSA developments in other countries and an examination of existing Welsh schemes.
CSA schemes are understood as schemes where the community shares the risks and rewards of food production. A number of different types are identified ranging from producer-led schemes to community-led schemes with various hybrids in between.
Schemes in countries such as Japan and France have tended to follow a set model sometimes described as consumer-producer partnerships. These are often associated with population centres and existing producers. In the US and the UK there has been a much greater proliferation of types and sub-types although the detail is difficult to quantify in the available figures. As the movement in the US has matured producer-led schemes have come to dominate the sector.
The number of schemes in Wales is relatively small but there is almost as much variety as seen in England. Four schemes were visited and key personnel interviewed to evaluate progress in achieving the objectives of the schemes. These included producer and community-led schemes. All are surviving but the security of future development varies between the schemes.
Success can be defined in many ways but financial stability and viability are necessary first steps regardless of CSA type. Once this is achieved then the wider social and environmental objectives can be addressed – these are usually seen as more important in the community-led models.
The four Welsh schemes are all successful in the sense that they are continuing to survive and they are maintaining a degree of stability. The potential for future stability varies between the schemes. It is difficult to draw firm conclusions from such a small sample but it is clear that a good structure is important as well as the presence of the necessary expertise.