Due to financial cutbacks my grant for my masters thesis project has
disappeared. Originally I was going to do a consumer survey in Halifax
regarding food consumption and purchasing behaviours, knowledge of
Sustainable Agriculture and alternative methods, attitudes towards
agribusiness, etc. etc. As well, I would have been examining community
supported agriculture as well and conducting interviews with CSA
participant, both consumers and producers. I was looking at CSA as a
means of revitalization of the rural community by urban consumers. Alas
-no $$$.
So I am attempting to the first part by an empirical review of consumer
surveys in NA. I am looking for recent surveys (government, academic,
publication etc. sponsored) that scan the general population as well as
those that are targeted to organic and CSA consumers which examine eating
patterns, shopping patterns,
attitudes to sustainable agriculture etc. etc.. Hopefully I will be able
to find sufficient surveys to compare consumers who do participate in SA
practices such as community supported agriculture etc. and those who do
not. I
am interested in finding the differences and my qualitative aspect of my
thesis will be interviewing participants in CSAs to put flesh onto the
bones and find out what is that special something that pulls and/or drive
consumers to make that change i.e. lifestyle, long-term commitment, risk
etc. that is required to participate in CSAs [My definition of a CSA
includes both sustainable and organic in case anyone is wondering if
people actually read the philosophical debates on the network]
The other question that I will be examining is given the responses what
can producers, institutions and governments do to support this
transition.
So, during your explorations of SA, if you have come across any surveys,
please let me know. I already have one provided to my by Jerry Cohen
(which helped spark this direction) and one from Cornell Cooperative
Extension via Jeennifer Wilkins. I will also be going directly to US and
Cd census departments to get data from them.
Any help would be appreciated and most welcomed. Thanks.
Sylvia-Linda Kaktins
skaktins@is.dal.ca
School for Resource and Environmental Studies
Dalhousie University
Halifax, N.S.
B3H 3J5
1-204-494-3632
1-204-494-3728 (fax)