Community‐Supported Agriculture in Brazil: Co‐Responsibility in Agroecological Production to Strengthen Food Security

Abstract

The current shape of the world's food system has promoted increasingly globalized food models, putting people's food sovereignty and security at risk. Community‐supported agriculture (CSA), a movement grounded on ecologically‐based agriculture and an alternative model for marketing and distributing food produced on small farms, was proposed as a means of improving consumers' eating habits, strengthening local food production, and promoting food sovereignty. This study aimed to identify the potential of CSA as a promoter of food security in Brazil. Based on an integrative literature review, results showed that CSA can guarantee a decent income for family farmers, reducing social vulnerability. Farmers see CSA as an opportunity for income security; consumers engaged with this initiative have perspectives on personal health interests, social justice, and solidarity with farmers. An essential potential for promoting food sustainability was observed, as CSA is strongly influenced by agroecology, and local food production and consumption have a lower impact on carbon dioxide emissions as they require less transportation. However, despite these positive aspects, CSA has suffered a significant limitation in the elitization of this movement, reflecting historical social inequalities in which only a relatively small portion of the population has the privilege of being able to pay for healthier food. It is necessary to think about strategies for getting people who are more socially vulnerable and food insecure to join the movement. In conclusion, CSA has significant potential to promote agroecology, but it needs to rethink better ways of promoting food security.