Section of the journal:
Management
Pages:
96-103
Bibliographic description of the article
Fomina, Y. A. SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE: CASE STUDY / Y. A. Fomina, S. N. Apenko, D. E. Fomina. – Text : direct //
Innovative Economics and Society. – 2024. – № 3 (45). – С. 96-103
Abstract
The article studies various aspects of sustainability management based on the case study of the Live Food Club, the first farm in Russia officially operating on the principles of community supported agriculture (CSA). The main outcome of the study is the identification of all three aspects of sustainable management of community supported agriculture: economic, ecological and social. Economic sustainability is realised through the 3R business model: the sharing of risks, benefits and responsibilities between the farmer and consumers, long term relationship and formal contract between them. In particular, consumers provide a fixed solidarity payment at the beginning of the season and thereafter receive a weekly basket of farm products. Ecological sustainability is formed through agroecological farming and the production of safe and high-quality food, biodiversity. Social sustainability is formed through the establishment of direct partnership between farmers and consumers and mutual trust, exclusion of intermediaries, as well as through education. Training is organised for club members (farmers, consumers) and the local community (local farmers, school teachers and pupils). The unique characteristics of this community supported agriculture “Live Food Club” are the focus on social entrepreneurship; biodynamic farming; and emotions as a part of the product. The model of community supported agriculture corresponds to the model of social entrepreneurship, because on the one hand, its main objectives are ecological and social (providing the club members with healthy food based on agro-ecological and biodynamic farming), on the other hand, the 3R business model is used to ensure financial sustainability. This gives us directions for further research on community supported agriculture.
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