Seeding change through Community Supported Agriculture? The prefigurative potential of CSAs in South-Holland, The Netherlands
(2024) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20241LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
- Abstract
- Conventional agrifood systems significantly contribute to environmental degradation. While Community Supported Agriculture initiatives (CSAs) may provide insights into alternative agrifood systems, few studies have investigated challenges to their engagement with prefigurative processes. Through a case study of nine CSAs in South-Holland, the Netherlands, this thesis explores the extent to which CSAs can overcome challenges to their prefigurative potential. Research is grounded in theories of prefigurative processes and characteristics by Yates (2015) and Schiller-Merkens (2022a) respectively. Data is obtained through interviews with CSA representatives. None of the CSAs studied display all five processes of prefiguration, but six show all... (More)
- Conventional agrifood systems significantly contribute to environmental degradation. While Community Supported Agriculture initiatives (CSAs) may provide insights into alternative agrifood systems, few studies have investigated challenges to their engagement with prefigurative processes. Through a case study of nine CSAs in South-Holland, the Netherlands, this thesis explores the extent to which CSAs can overcome challenges to their prefigurative potential. Research is grounded in theories of prefigurative processes and characteristics by Yates (2015) and Schiller-Merkens (2022a) respectively. Data is obtained through interviews with CSA representatives. None of the CSAs studied display all five processes of prefiguration, but six show all three characteristics of prefigurative organizing. Although many CSAs aim for systemic change, they avoid political meaning-making and diffusion due to fear of polarization and repercussions, public disinterest and time scarcity. Addressing these challenges and increasing collaboration may allow for bottom-up initiatives like CSAs to contribute more meaningfully to agrifood system transformations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9154400
- author
- Pap, Annelise LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MESM02 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Community Supported Agriculture, processes of prefiguration, characteristics of prefigurative organizing, challenges, the Netherlands, Sustainability Science
- publication/series
- Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
- report number
- 2024:017
- language
- English
- id
- 9154400
- date added to LUP
- 2024-05-28 12:49:07
- date last changed
- 2024-05-28 12:49:07
@misc{9154400, abstract = {{Conventional agrifood systems significantly contribute to environmental degradation. While Community Supported Agriculture initiatives (CSAs) may provide insights into alternative agrifood systems, few studies have investigated challenges to their engagement with prefigurative processes. Through a case study of nine CSAs in South-Holland, the Netherlands, this thesis explores the extent to which CSAs can overcome challenges to their prefigurative potential. Research is grounded in theories of prefigurative processes and characteristics by Yates (2015) and Schiller-Merkens (2022a) respectively. Data is obtained through interviews with CSA representatives. None of the CSAs studied display all five processes of prefiguration, but six show all three characteristics of prefigurative organizing. Although many CSAs aim for systemic change, they avoid political meaning-making and diffusion due to fear of polarization and repercussions, public disinterest and time scarcity. Addressing these challenges and increasing collaboration may allow for bottom-up initiatives like CSAs to contribute more meaningfully to agrifood system transformations.}}, author = {{Pap, Annelise}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, series = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}}, title = {{Seeding change through Community Supported Agriculture? The prefigurative potential of CSAs in South-Holland, The Netherlands}}, year = {{2024}}, }