Community Supported Agriculture An overview of the use of Community - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Community Supported Agriculture An overview of the use of Community Finance in CSA in England Mark Simmonds Co-op Culture Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Financing CSAs ● Prepayment model is useful ● Land is expensive to buy – Grants – Loans – Community shares Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Community Shares ● Surge in their use in recent years ● Use the Industrial and Provident Society legal form ● People can invest up to £20,000 ● One member one vote ● Can pay a return on investment Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Rise in community shares 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

It's not just agriculture Creative and media; 2% Food and Farming; 8% Pubs and Brewing; 15% Sports; 3% CLT and Housing; 3% Regeneration and development; 7% Energy and Environment; 33% Community Retail; 24% Social Care; 2% Transport; 2% Other; 2% Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Fordhall Farm ● 1 farmer, 8,000 landlords ● England's first community owned farm (2006) ● Exempt charity ● Land Trust not a Farm Business Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Ecological Land Co-op ● Small-scale sustainable land use ● Multi-stakeholder co-operative – Investors – Workers – Stewards ● About to launch a new share offer. Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Whistlewood Common ● 10 acre community forest ● Inspired by Melbourne Area Transition ● Just about to purchase land ● ½ funded by grant ● Unsure of business model at moment Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

The Community Farm Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Key features of Community Investment ● Ideally - needs to be a business ● Can reinforce “customer loyalty” ● “Patient capital” ● Potential to share profits Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

What's on the horizon? ● UK Network of CSAs ● Farm Start ● Not just England ● Transition Towns ● Incredible Edible ● Totally Locally ● Renewables Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop

Further information Co-op Culture mark@culture.coop