Details zur Publikation |
| Kategorie | Textpublikation |
| Referenztyp | Zeitschriften |
| DOI | 10.1088/2976-601X/ae9cc1 |
Lizenz  |
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| Titel (primär) | Exploring the potential of community-supported agriculture in Germany - diffusion prospects and contributions to vegetable self-sufficiency |
| Autor | Egli, L.
; Zech, M.; Paech, N.; Gaspers, M.; Schmidt, J.; Palliwoda, J.; Rommel, M. |
| Erscheinungsjahr | 2026 |
| Department | CLE |
| Band/Volume | 3 |
| Heft | 4 |
| Seite von | art. 041001 |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Topic | T5 Future Landscapes |
| Keywords | Food system transformation; organic farming; regional food systems; small-scale 5 agriculture |
| Abstract | Agricultural specialization — characterized by fewer, larger and more simplified farms — and low vegetable self-sufficiency undermine food system resilience in the face of global disruptions. Alternative food networks such as community-supported agriculture (CSA) offer a decentralized, diversified alternative, yet CSA remains a niche within the agricultural sector. We combined survey data and agricultural statistics and applied a linear mixed-effects model to identify farms in Germany that are potentially most suitable for CSA conversion – an important first step in assessing its diffusion potential. We found that nearly 7% of all farms (almost 16.000) could potentially be interested in converting to CSA. If these farms allocated part of their land to vegetable production, they could increase vegetable self-sufficiency by roughly one third while simultaneously doubling crop diversity. Our findings further suggest that a conversion of smaller farms could efficiently boost self-sufficiency while potentially enhancing the economic stability of those most vulnerable to market pressures. However, actual conversion is constrained by multiple barriers, including insufficient member potential, limited availability of skilled labor, time requirements for CSA-specific tasks, financial support, competing land uses, and climatic and seasonal limitations. Unlocking the identified potential of CSA requires coordinated action of multiple promotors to expand advisory and training services, facilitate member recruitment, and strengthen infrastructure and policy support, thereby advancing both food system resilience and sustainability. |
| Egli, L., Zech, M., Paech, N., Gaspers, M., Schmidt, J., Palliwoda, J., Rommel, M. (2026): Exploring the potential of community-supported agriculture in Germany - diffusion prospects and contributions to vegetable self-sufficiency 3 (4), art. 041001 10.1088/2976-601X/ae9cc1 |
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