And that’s a wrap on CSA Week!
CSA Day was first launched in 2015 by Small Farm Central as a sign-up day in the USA. Since then, Communities Supporting Agriculture (CSA) and Local Solidarity Partnership for Agroecology (LSPA) have continued to grow as a truly international phenomenon, with initiatives on all continents.
The International #CSADay is celebrated on the 22nd of February.
URGENCI is the International Organisation that facilitates connections between existing national and local networks through the shared belief in the core values of Food Sovereignty, Agroecology and Solidarity Economy.
One of our missions is to continue to build and sustain the movement, and making our members feel part of a larger thing with common values and goals, despite the geographic distance.
This year we did this through a social media campaign that included sharing useful tools and resources, pictures and videos of CSA Baskets from across the world, as well as of the people that make up our vibrant movement.
You can find all of this on our Instagram and Facebook profile!
In the midst of global challenges and uncertainties, enhancing economic viability, visibility, and inclusivity, while addressing challenges such as stress and burnout, has become crucial for strengthening CSA and LSPA networks.
Because of this, we started The ViVid project. This Erasmus+ project was made by Networks and for Networks, and aims to develop and implement a blended training program and tools to ensure that they can be resilient in their endeavour to bring sustainable transformation of the food system.
We are almost at the end of this journey, and you can find its fruits on the dedicated page on the URGENCI Hub.
Another project that is coming to an end is the SWIFT Project, with the goal of advancing the position of women and LGBTQI+ persons in farming, and to investigate how agroecological processes can promote gender equality, thanks to the collaboration of peasant women, social and civil organisations working for Agroecology and Food Sovereignty, and researchers.
One of the important topics we worked on during this project is the concept of Care in CSAs.
We have explored how caring relationships are and can be practiced collectively, while also addressing invisible and undervalued labour, as well as analysing the questions of inclusion and accessibility within CSA and LSPA models.
Community Supported Agriculture, and every Local Solidarity Partnership for agroecology, are not just a way to access healthy and nutritious food, but a special way to relate to food, to the land, and to our community.
We are not alone, we are a global movement that continues to grow every day.
Together, we learn from one another, and we build and foster relationships between producers and consumers, based on trust, respect, and solidarity.
Thank you for being part of it!
