A local example of community-supported agriculture: "La Giuggiola" in the municipality of Carpi

This thesis critically analyzes the contemporary agrifood system and its sustainable alternatives, with an empirical focus on the case of the community-supported agriculture association "La Giuggiola", operating in the municipality of Carpi, Emilia-Romagna. The first chapters provide an overview of the main negative externalities of industrial agriculture at the global and national levels, delving into the economic, social, and environmental dynamics that characterize the current agrifood industry. They discusse the critical issues related to the concentration of power in large-scale retail trade and multinational agrochemical companies, the exploitation of agricultural labor, and food waste, with references to journalistic investigations and the functioning of the Italian fruit and vegetable market. From a theoretical perspective, an insight on the development of political agroecology as an alternative approach is presented. The following chapter delves into the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, analyzing its origins, various organizational models, and its defining economic, social, and environmental objectives. Through a comparative overview, the chapter highlights how CSAs foster supportive relationships between producers and consumers, bridging the economic and symbolic divide between urban and rural areas. The further chapter focuses on the case of the "La Giuggiola" CSA, which emerged locally as a community-supported agriculture initiative. After reconstructing the genesis of the project and collaborations with public bodies and local communities, the results of the first year and a half of activity are analyzed: production scale, member participation, cost and revenue structure, funding sources, and economic and social impacts. Particular attention is paid to assessing the positive externalities generated and the CSA's ability to position itself as a concrete and competitive alternative to the traditional agrifood market. Finally, the last chapter presents the analysis of data collected through questionnaires administered to participating families, with the aim of measuring satisfaction, perceived benefits, emerging critical issues, and the sociodemographic profile of participants. The results offer insights for improving the economic and relational sustainability of CSA and for guiding local public policies to support more equitable and resilient production and consumption models.