Faceless supermarkets and uniform veg… …or this?

The concept of ‘community supported agriculture’ (CSA) can be traced back to Japan in the 60s, when a surge in industrialisation led to concerns about food safety. With a new desire to know exactly where their food was coming from, communities began forming direct relationships with local farmers. In Japan, this link is known as teikei – which can be translated as ‘food with the farmer’s face on it’.

In present-day Britain, rising concerns around pesticides and ecologically damaging agricultural practices means more of us than ever are looking for a closer connection to our food, and the CSA model is being taken up around the country, with more than 100 projects and counting.

CSA farms and projects come in various shapes and sizes,