博仲法律事務所的社群協力農業 簡介

博仲法律事務所的社群協力農業 2011年2月

什麼是社區協力農業？
社區協力農業在1960年代起源於德國、瑞士和日本，至今已經蔓延到世界上許多地方。在1984年，Jan VanderTuin將它從歐洲引入北美地區時，創造了「『社區協力』農業」（Community-Supported Agriculture）這個詞彙。社區協力農業的農場通常是小規模，並且採行永續利用的有機耕作方法。社區協力農業已經在美國紮根多年。目前光是全美國境內，就有大約 2000個社區協力農業。當越來越多的人開始選擇健康、有機的產品，這不僅有益身體健康也對土地友善，社區協力農業的發展想必也將越來越蓬勃。

分擔風險
社區協力農業的基本概念非常簡單----農民提供食物、而消費者同意支持農場。但是，任何社區協力農業的核心觀念都是：農民和消費者彼此成為合作夥伴，彼此之間交織的互動遠高於一般的商業交易。在社區協力農業中，一群消費者共同投資以換取農場的收成，消費者不僅承諾會長期購買該農場的產品，也會幫忙承擔農業本身固有的風險。要達成這目的的方法是由消費者購買農場的「股份」，而農民則以每週提供蔬菜的方式作為回報（雖然有些社區協力農業供應的是肉類和其他農產品）。一般來說，美國的情況是農民會在整個生長季節開始之前，收齊整年耕作所需要的費用，並承諾提供一年中數個星期的食物。

藉著預先付款，社區協力農業的成員幫助農民把重心放在農耕事務、以及耕作所需的資材設備採購，不必擔心市場銷售的問題。成員從中所獲得的回報，是超級新鮮的有機農產品，往往是當天採收就被運送到手上。農場豐收時大家有福同享，農場欠收時大家也有難同當

在美國有些農場採用「量能負擔」的收費結構----有能力多支付一些價格的人就多出一些，因此無力承擔一般會費條件的人，同樣也可以獲得新鮮的有機農產品。

股東的田間參與
社區協力農業的成員會以各種方式去認識為自己生產食物的農場。例如在特殊活動場合去拜訪農場；或是成為社區協力農業的核心小組，擔任志工幫忙行政事務。核心小組處理大大小小的各種事宜，從預算規劃到農產品配送，以及這兩端之間的任何問題。有些農場會提供食物換工的模式。透過親自動手參與，成員們變得和農場更貼近，也和供應自己食物的農民更緊密連結。與此同時，農民也認識了吃下他辛勞栽種的食物的人們。

吃當地
社區協力農業的服務對象通常是在鄰近社區。社區協力農業的成員可以獲得超新鮮、在地種植的食物，而不是經過數百甚至上千公里運輸而來的食物。因為跳過了中間商，直接銷售到消費者手中的方式，也讓農民獲得更多利潤。
當你成為社區協力農業的成員，你也就是在抵抗大規模、單一作物的工業化農業，那不僅摧毀了小農場，也破壞土地。社區協力農業讓我們有機會把社區行動融入日常生活當中。當我們吃下當地栽植的有機作物，我們不僅改善自己的健康，也不只促成我們社區整體的健康，更是在呵護我們生活所依的土地。

多變的樣貌
社區協力農業有非常多樣的運作模式，因為任何成員與農民都有他們獨特的需求。例如在台灣的兩個例子。青松米社區協力農業，在水稻耕種之前先收集股金，等水稻收成之後再分配稻穀。烏來福山農莊社區協力農業的運作方式則不太一樣，會員每年繳納新台幣6000元的會費，而蔬菜費用則另外計算。會費的目的是幫助農場渡過重大的天然災害（源自極端氣候或病蟲害）、或提升設備、購買種苗。蔬菜的費用是每週支付一次，或者預先收取一筆總款項，再依據蔬菜遞送的數量來扣除。

博仲法律事務所與輝要無毒農園的社區協力農業概述
在2009年，博仲法律事務所以及它所支持的一個環保團體蠻野心足生態協會，和土城阿輝的有機 /無毒農場形成了類似社區協力農業的關係。蠻野心足生態協會從2006年開始，就和農場所在地附近的農民們共同合作，避免該地區淪入高密度住宅和商業開發區的狀態。這些努力日後發展出更多成果，例如引介劉力學的堆肥技術、幫助阿輝行銷產品…等其他經營面向。基於社區協力農業的重要精神，博仲法律事務所的同事以直接購買蔬菜的方式支持阿輝的農場。

付款和遞送方式
每一季由博仲法律事務所預先付款一次，蔬菜是每週配送到公司，會員的費用則是每個月月底從薪資中扣除。

安全和行政基金
大約百分之十的會員費被提撥作為一筆安全和行政基金。這筆基金的目的是幫助農場改善必要的設備和資材、幫助農場應付天然災害帶來的損失、帶訪客參訪或是舉辦講座和活動、宣傳農場和社區協力農業、幫助支付社區協力農業的行政開支；此外，它也替農場提供農場了額外的財務安全。

核心小組
關心社區協力農業的一小群人組成一個核心小組，這小組每週進行開會，討論任何與社區協力農業相關的議題，並且決定安全/管理基金的支用；社區協力農業的成員和任何有興趣的人員都可參與每週的會議。社區協力農業的成員、博仲法律事務所及蠻野心足生態協會的成員會收到會議通知。會議記錄會透過電子信件寄發給成員，並在網路上建檔，開放檢閱。未來的計劃包括：擴大成員社群、尋找更多的農民/生產者，和其他小企業一起從事社區協力農業或企業協力農業。


Community-Supported Agriculture at Winkler Partners
February 2011

What is Community-Supported Agriculture?
Community-Supported Agriculture had its beginnings in the 1960s in Germany, Switzerland and Japan. Since then, it has spread to many other parts of the world. Jan VanderTuin coined the term community-supported agriculture in 1984 when he brought the idea from Europe to North America. CSA farms are generally small in scale and practice sustainable farming using organic methods. CSA has taken root in the United States over the years. Currently there is an estimate of about 2000 CSAs in the US alone. As more and more people seek healthy organic produce that is good for the body and good for the land, this number is expected continue to grow.

Sharing the Risk.
The basic idea of Community-Supported Agriculture is simple enough—the farmer provides the food and consumers in turn agree to support the farm. However, at the core of any CSA is the notion that farmers and consumers are partners engaged in an arrangement that goes beyond the usual commercial transaction. In a CSA, a community of consumers invested in the success of a farm come together to support the farm by pledging not only to purchase products of the farm over the long-term but also to help bear the inherent risk of farming itself. They do this by purchasing a “share” in a farm and in return the farmer provides vegetables (though some CSA offer meat and other farm products) on a weekly basis. Typically in the United States, the farmer collects the payment for the entire growing season prior to the start of the season and agrees to provide food for a set number of weeks.

By paying ahead, CSA members enable the farmer to focus on farming rather than worry about marketing and to purchase necessary materials and equipment in order to do the work. In return, members of the CSA get ultra-fresh organically grown produce often harvested on the same day that it is delivered. Everyone shares in the bounty of the farm and everyone suffers when crops fail.

Some farms in the US offer a sliding scale fee structure—those who are able to pay more, do so in order that those who can’t afford the regular membership can still have access to fresh organic produce.

Shareholders’ Involvement in the Farm.
CSA members are encouraged to become familiar with the farm in one way or another. Some simply visit the farm on special occasions. Others help in the administration of the CSA through a core group of volunteers. The group may deal with anything from budgeting to distribution and anything in between. Some farms offer food in exchange for work. Through hands-on involvement, members feel personally connected to the farm and the farmers who grow their food. At the same time, farmers get to know the people who eat the food they grow.

Eating Locally.
Generally, a CSA serves the community nearby. CSA members have access to ultra-fresh locally grown food that hasn’t traveled many hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Selling directly to the consumer means farmers keep more of the profit as they cut out the middleman.

By being a member of a CSA, consumers say “No” to large-scale, single-crop agriculture that destroys small farms and the land alike. CSAs give us the opportunity to put community action into our daily lives. By the very act of eating locally grown, organic produce, we improve not only our own health but also the health of our community, and the land on which we live.

Variations on the Theme.
Variations on the basic CSA model are abundant and are specific to the needs of members and farmers. Here are two examples in Taiwan. 青松米 is a CSA that collects money for shares of rice up front. Shares in rice are distributed when rice is harvested. Organized a little differently, the Fushan CSA 烏來福山農莊 charges an annual CSA membership fee of NT$6000 and vegetables are paid for separately. The purpose of the membership fee is to help the farm weather major crop loss (due to natural disaster or pest infestation), upgrade equipment, and purchase seedlings. Vegetables are paid either by the week or in a lump sum as a credit. Amounts are deducted as vegetables are delivered.

Description of the Winkler Partners/Hui-Yao Wu-du CSA
Winkler Partners and an environmental group supported by the firm, Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association Taiwan, entered into a CSA-like relationship with Ahui’s organic/no-poison farm in Tucheng in 2009. Wild has been working with farmers in Ah-hui’s community since 2006 to help keep the area free from intensive housing and commercial development. Part of this work has involved introducing the farmers to advanced composting techniques developed by Pierre Loisel and helping with marketing and other aspects of Ah-hui’s business. Based on the spirit of the typical CSA, colleagues at WP support Ahui’s farm by buying his vegetables.

Payment and Delivery Structure.
The firm pays an advance amount quarterly and vegetables are delivered to WP weekly. Members have their CSA payments deducted at the end of each month.

Security and Administrative Fund.
About ten percent of the membership is put into a Security and Administrative Fund. The purpose of this fund is to help pay for necessary farm equipment upgrade and material; help the farm weather losses due to natural causes; promote farm and CSA by bringing visitors or through lectures and other events; help pay CSA administrative expenses; and in general provide additional financial security for the farm.

Core Group.
A small group of individuals interested in the CSA makes up a core group. The core group holds weekly meetings to discuss any and all issue concerning the CSA, and makes decisions on how the Security/Administration Fund is spent. The meeting is open to all members of the CSA and any interested parties. CSA members and WP and Wild at Heart employees are notified of meetings. Meeting notes are sent to CSA members by email and filed online. They are available by request. Future plans include helping to expand the member base, finding additional farmers/suppliers and working with other small enterprises to introduce CSA or ESA – enterprise supported agriculture.