Community Supported Agriculture: A Commitment to a Healthier Diet

Abstract

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a model of distribution of local agricultural produce in which a farm pairs with a community group that purchases weekly “shares” of produce for a growing season, in the approximate amount of one large grocery bag per week per member. This prospective cohort study investigated whether CSA participation causes an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables and the frequency of home-cooked meals. An e-mail-linked survey was distributed to over 10 000 individuals affiliated with a CSA-promoting organization called Just Food in New York City. Those who received and participated in the survey were a mix of active CSA members and those who may be interested in CSA but were not participating that year. Individuals were surveyed twice: before the beginning of the CSA season and about 6 weeks later. The survey administered is an augmented version of the validated National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Eating at America's Table “All Day Screener.” Of the 1278 individuals who returned the initial survey, 583 completed the follow-up survey. The response rate to the initial survey is unknown and the response rate to the follow-up survey was 46%. Paired data from those who completed both surveys were analyzed. Among CSA members, there was a statistically significant increase in surveyed fruit and vegetable consumption of 2.2 servings per week and 4.9 home-cooked meals per month compared to the CSA nonmembers. Additionally, a high majority of CSA members reported eating half or more of their weekly share individually, which is a substantial, though variable, quantity of produce. CSA participation is also associated with subjective reports of increased fruit and vegetable consumption.