There are two conflicting stories about how CSA became established in the
United States. One commonly held belief is that “the CSA movement originated in the
9
1960s in Kobe, Japan, where a group of women desired a closer connection with farmers
and the food they were consuming” (Brittain 2007: 1; also see Strochlic and Shelley
2004). In Japan the idea was referred to as “teikei” which translates to mean “food with
the farmer’s face on it.” It is believed that the concept then spread to Europe and
eventually to the United States (Brittain 2007). This version of CSA’s history was
reported in a Time Magazine article: “The CSA movement began in Japan 30 years ago
with a group of women alarmed by pesticides, the increase in processed food and their
countries dwindling rural population. Their teikei—partnerships with local farmers
through annual subscriptions—spread to Europe and United States” (Roosevelt 2003:
60)