Community supported agriculture as a new model of social collaboration between producer and consumer

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the nature of “Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) as a modern concept of direct collaboration between agricultural producers and consumers in developing local food systems based on safety production of high quality products, and to propose measures for the dissemination of the CSA in Ukraine. Research methods. The methodological basis for the investigation of the problem is the research of foreign and domestic scientists who explored possibilities for improving the collaboration between producers and consumers to share the duties and responsibilities in the process of production and distribution of quality food. The applied aspects were based on the systematization of the CSA experience in foreign countries to develop actions for the CSA implementation in Ukraine. The study used the following methods: generalization and abstraction (to identify basic and elimination of insignificant properties of the CSA); analysis and synthesis (to investigate a nature of solidarity agriculture, its advantages and limitations); abstract and logical method (to summarize conclusions and formulate proposals). Research results. It has been determined theoretical and practical bases for the implementation of the CSA in the Ukrainian conditions, as a direct collaboration between producers and consumers based on the suitable distribution of responsibilities, risks and benefits among them. There were described benefits of the CSA’s developing for different actors in the local agro-supply collaboration, including benefits for producers, consumers and local economy. Analysis of prerequisites for creating a CSA model in Ukraine has showed that cooperation of producers and consumers of food products takes place in the simplest forms of family and mutual assistance, peasants’ regular sales of certain types of products to long-term customers. There was proposed a set of activities for deepening social collaboration and communication in processes of food provision for the CSA dissemination in Ukraine. Elements of scientific novelty. It was adapted theoretical bases of the CSA as a new concept of creating direct collaboration between food producers and consumers based on the distribution of responsibilities, risks and benefits among them, for implementation into the domestic practice; it has been proved the feasibility of the CSA dissemination in Ukraine, which will provide higher life quality of population. Practical significance. There were developed measures and substantiated a policy steps for the dissemination and implementation of the CSA model in Ukraine. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 19.