Contextual and Situational Factors
The contextual and situational conditions that shape our lives have a significant impact
on our well-being, and a primary example of this is security. CSAs seek to address food
security concerns by establishing and stabilizing local food production. Food security is
defined as the ability to provide sufficient food so that all people can obtain a culturally
acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through non-emergency food sources at all times
(Stagl, 2002). How secure we feel also depends on how much we trust our neighbors.
Social capital is a concept that draws the situational factors of community, trust and
security together (Layard, 2005). CSAs have the potential to contribute to social capital
through their community building activities.