The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Network UK has launched its new website dedicated to community supported agriculture. The website will support the growth of the CSA movement in UK by connecting and advising farmers, growers and consumers and promoting the CSA farming model to national and local Government and policymakers.
 
Maresa Bossano, Network Coordinator commented on the launch, “The launch of our website marks a new and exciting phase for the Network as it provide us with a platform to raise the profile of the CSA farming model in the UK and the fantastic work of our member farms, who consistently prove that both farmers and consumers can benefit considerably from forming lasting partnerships.”
 
The CSA Network UK, established in December 2013, is a cooperative membership organisation that brings together CSA farms to connect, exchange their skills and knowledge and promote a fairer, more transparent model of food production, where the risks and rewards are shared.
 
The CSA model has seen a rise in popularity in the UK, with the Network responding to demand by farmers and growers following an initial scoping project run by the Soil Association. Interest developed for the creation of a dedicated network, to connect existing CSA farms and help to promote and build the model more widely. In April 2014, the newly established Network ran a successful crowdfunding campaign, raising £7,686 which, combined with further support from the A Team Foundation, has allowed the network to take begin work.
 
Members of the Network said it could help bring local culture back into agriculture and allow people to take back control of their food at the launch. Research conducted around the world has shown that CSA farms have the potential to play a greater role in the provision of sustainable food and to deliver a whole range of additional benefits to communities, including the increased wellbeing of participants, skills development, and provision of local employment and volunteering opportunities.