It is based on the authors’ research on organic food subscription schemes in four European countries in 2004 and
subsequent research on TEI-KEI and CSA (HALDY 2004). It focuses on an economical and customer oriented
analysis, whilst the ecological and sociological (incl. cultural) issues are merely named, not analysed.
The author is aware that this is a western approach which is seen as critical in the Asian Organic Movement. It reflects
the authors’ cultural background and research. Therefore, the findings presented here aim to utilise an international and
intercultural dialogue on the subject rather than to impose European Findings in an Asian situation.
For a deeper understanding of the main issues of TEI-KEI, CSA and Box-Schemes the cultural background has to be
considered. CSA and Box-Schemes occur in the western culture which is dominated by individualisation and personal
benefits, whilst TEI-KEI stems from the Asian culture which is more group and relationship orientated. Furthermore
the three grass-root movements have evolved in Japan, the USA and Northern Europe respectively and thus reflect
these national and subsequent regional cultures. Hence main system features, product features and service features and
their relative importance to producers and consumers vary according to their socio-economical and socio-ecological
context.
All three issues have developed in highly industrialised, free-market and democratic countries which in turn give way
to generalisations according to customers living in these societies. They share in common the objective to overcome the
shortfalls of industrial conventional agronomy by enhancing a trustful relationship between farmers and consumers.
These three movements can be placed on a continuum scale according to their orientation from more farm or more
customer orientated, as shown in exhibit