Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
7-17-2023
Year of Publication
2023
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Agricultural Economics
Advisor
Dr. Timothy Woods
Abstract
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs offer consumers the chance to share the risk with farming operations while gaining access to fresh, local foods. While research on CSA shareholder values such as share affordability or the local impact of participation has been conducted in the past decade and beyond, less attention has been paid to direct value-mapping of the shareholders themselves. This research seeks to determine consumer values around the CSA purchasing decision using the Best-Worst Scaling Approach. Based on a focus group discussion with CSA shareholders in a university wellness voucher program, we used affinity diagramming to develop a list of eleven values. A subsequent survey of 197 University of Kentucky employees registering for the program in 2022 was developed, revealing that for those with CSA experience, the quality of produce and the local impact of their CSA purchasing decision are among the most important attributes, whereas those who chose not to purchase a CSA share most value food affordability. The goal of this research is to open new avenues for CSA administrators to promote CSA programs by targeting priority value clusters and thereby increase the program impact.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2023.289
Funding Information
Redman Scholarship, 2021-2023
Recommended Citation
Pierce, Thomas B., "COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE VALUES: A COMPARISON ACROSS GROUPS" (2023). Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics. 104.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/agecon_etds/104
