CSA dividends

CSA, Community Supported Agriculture has been around long enough for reasonable people to ask themselves "why isn't more of this happening", a feeling that was picked up at today's Soil Association conference in Birmingham:

"People are sick of being told to worry about food. They need to feel empowered. We know of lots of alternative local food systems that are sustainable, resilient, viable and principled. They may not be able to solve the global problem, but they can say: 'Nothing we are doing will stand people in worse stead.'"
Bonnie Hewson, Soil Association CSA Project Manager. The Guardian, 3 February 2010

Having just attended the monthly St Davids Eco City Project meeting, where food and CSA was a big part of our discussions, Bonnie Hewson't comments have even more resonance. Gerald Miles, one of our excellent local organic farmers (we have a good share of them down here) talked passionately about the change from his early days of farming when he employed 25 people part time on the farm to now, when he employs none, and farms holiday makers instead. A St Davids based CSA scheme with as little as 20 households paying £30 a month could make enough difference and certainty of income for Gerald's son to become a farmer rather than leave the farm to find work elsewhere. Nine households at the meeting last night said they'd sign the dooted line. We feel empowered.

Feeding Wales

Today we launch a research project to define a plan that can produce security of supply of food essentials by 2030. Working with us are three superb researchers from the US, Chile and Wales, supported by experts from the Soil Association, Community Farms & City Gardens, farming, marketing and distribution. At the helm are Dr John Fagan and Paul Skinner from Earth Open Source, with Wales and sustainability context from me and the TYF team.

We are planning to be present initial findings at Hay on Earth in early June this year, and to partners in industry and public sector shortly after that.

Please pass the word around to anyone you know that's interested in food security and community resilience; we want to hear from as many people as possible with stories and questions to share.

Food Security - feeding on good ideas

Next Friday sees the launch of a new combined research project that's been exciting us here for some time. The project's start was at the Hay on Earth food workshop in May last year, when we brought together aronud 65 leading food thinkers to consider the practical challenges of moving towards food sustainability and security at a national level.

Largely as a result of synchronicity and serendipity, one of the attendees was Dr John Fagan, who was in the process of setting up EOS - the Earth Open Source Institute. The Do Programme, borne out of the Do Lectures, was already running as a six month action learning project to investigate and develop new ways of teaching sustainability in workplaces and schools, so it was a natural extension that the idea of launching a more detailed food security project came about. We're lucky to have three enthusiastic researchers from Quebec, Chile and Wales embarking on the journey with us, supported by a great 'mastermind' group including all those you'd want - policy makers to practitioners.

Our goal is to map out the objectives needed for Wales to be self sufficient in food essentials within 20 years. If you've got an interest in sustainable food production, processing, marketing or management and would like to join in the fun, drop us a line, and help develop the project ready to for Hay in 5 months' time.

Insight - The Community Development Foundation

Which community? What is development - CDF's definition is work around:

Working with individuals and communities

• Challenging opression and inequality
• Bringing about social change and justice
• Empowerment
• Wellbeing

Community engagement is about involving people in the decisions that influece their lives. In the world of citizen-centered policy, employee, employer, individual, volunteer, carer, representative are all roles to take into account.

The latter of participation:

Information - supporting - consulting - deciding together - acting together - it's important to know where you are meeting people, and where you hope to take them to.

Decision making in the round - 1) holding to account, 2) giving account, 3) taking into account, 4)dis-counting (not going to be used because timing or context is out). The lack of feedback kills engagement if actions don't develop from input and suggestions.

The Community Development Worker - work alongside local people building relationships, helping communities develop common concerns.

Project example - working with CCW on Come Outside - trying to generate sustainable levels of community use of nature. Engagement motivators included enjoying greens space, creating usable space, meeting people - barriers included distance, fear, lack of knowledge or neglect of the spaces.

The role of community development agents is going to be key for rapid progress, particularly so taking the knowledge gap into account.

In a Times interview, 41% of people interviewed believed that we needed to act quickly on climate. To protect community, we need connectedness, care, concern and commitment. And action.

Community based social marketing

Insights from Welsh Assembly Govt Climate Change Workshop

Step One - select the specific behaviour. Pick the behaviours that you want to stick. If it's about how water heating, anything from shower heads to thermostats can be relevant. Understand that different motivators will be present - which may be often more complex than those determining consumer choices.

Step Two - identify the barriers and benefits - "walk in their shoes" - understand their language and do solid research, run focus groups and conduct surveys to show what's actually happening. Set SMART goals, and Baby Smart goals - the things that will be needed to get started. e.g. reduce the number of staff travelling to WAG building X by 70% by Xmas 2010.

Step Three - Develop a clear strategy. For each behavour, develop a strategy to reduce barriers and increas benefits. Make the preferred behaviours easier and more affordable. Gain commitment - and make them public to promote engagement and involvement. Take advantage of social norms - group expectations and pressure to perform. Remember the value of prompts (remember to switch off the lights). Communicate, being careful to avoid the use of fear.

Step Four - Pilot - small groups, trying it

Step Five - implement a strategy