Contrasting Prosumption Models: Experiences, Benefits and Continuation in Allotment Gardens and Community-Supported Agriculture in Switzerland

Agricultural prosumption is a transformative pathway, enabling individuals to reconnect to nature whilst producing food for their own consumption. Allotment gardens (AGs) and community-supported agriculture (CSA) are two main types of this practice, forming opposing sides on a continuous prosumption scale, ranging from prosumption-as-consumption (p-a-c), as in consumption focused CSA initiatives, to prosumption-as-production (p-a-p), as in the production-orientated AGs. Using a survey completed by Swiss CSA (n = 250) and AG members (n = 201), this study shows how prosumers perceive the benefits of their activity, how these experiences shape their likeliness to continue and how differently they rate the effects of prosumption on individuals, communities and society. In addition, it provides an outlook on associated societal developments, regarding these activities as forms of contributive economy. Although the two groups differed in their socio-demographics, their attitudes and experiences were similar. P-a-p organisations (AGs) enhance production-related individual benefits, while p-a-c organisations foster positive experiences around consumption activities. AG continuation is driven by the experienced health and food-related benefits, while CSAs rely on the communal and organisational involvement of their members. While AG members focus on individual benefits, CSA members strive to be part of a food system change, using their communal structures to create a social movement. This demonstrates the wide range and potential of food prosumption in fostering diverse forms of engagement, offering insights into its potential for sustaining participation and contributing to alternative economic models.