Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as an Alternative Market System: An Appreciation-Based Activist Order of Worth

Abstract

This research is located within the field of Constructivist Market Studies. It aims to understand how valuation is performed by actors in alternative food markets, specifically in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) markets. In methodological terms, the work, of a qualitative nature, was based on observation, document analysis and interviews conducted with actors from different CSA´s established in the Brazilian territory. Results show that the CSA arrangement is based on an activist value order (Lindberg & Mossberg, 2019) that affects the valuation performed by agents. In addition to the modes of calculation present in conventional markets (calculation, qualculation and calqulation – Cochoy, 2008), the CSA arrangements encourages a new type of valuation, which we named “Esteem”. This calculation considers the different social and environmental benefits of the arrangement. Thus, the CSA members incorporate the Esteem into other forms of valuation when making decisions about their entry and permanence in the community. This article contributes to market studies by presenting a peculiar arrangement, which defies established logic, allowing a better understanding of how ideological issues are incorporated into market practices.

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Author Biographies

Daniel Carvalho de Rezende, Federal University of Lavras

Ph.D. in Development, Agriculture and Society (UFRRJ), Post-Doc in Marketing (Lancaster University). Professor at Federal University of Lavras.

Caroline Mendonça Nogueira Paiva, Fagammon

Ph.D. in Business Administration, Federal University of Lavras. Professor at Fagammon.

Paulo Henrique Montagnana Vicente Leme, Federal University of Lavras

Ph.D. in Business Administration at Federal University of Lavras. Professor at Federal University of Lavras.

Published
2021-10-07
How to Cite
Carvalho de Rezende, D., Paiva, C. M. N., & Leme, P. H. M. V. (2021). Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as an Alternative Market System: An Appreciation-Based Activist Order of Worth. Revista Interdisciplinar De Marketing, 11(2), 182-195. https://doi.org/10.4025/rimar.v11i2.56517