CSA movement in Sweden (fwd)

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <london@metalab.unc.edu>]

http://metalab.unc.edu/london   InterGarden   
london@metalab.unc.edu   llondon@bellsouth.net



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 10:09:52 +0200
From: Hans von Essen <hans.von.essen@c.lrf.se>
To: CSA-List <CSA-L@prairienet.org>
Subject: CSA movement in Sweden

Is there someone on the net who can advice me about CSA development on a
national level? I mean that there are particular difficulties to overcome
in the initial phase of a new development. Sweden is similar to the USA in
the respect that industrialazation of agriculture has gone further than in
many of our neighbor countries. A 30 cow dairy farm is by many concidered
too small to survive and there is a reaction coming against this since that
will mean half as many farmers and less jobs in the countryside. The
typical swedish household is also like in the USA very much used to
industrialized foods. Unlike USA, I think, swedes are often very
ideological in their thinking. But there is something lacking when it comes
to taking practical life style consequences of ideology. Just like church
is on sundays. Sadly this shows to be a specific problem for CSA
development here since we are not so pragmatic and practical thinkers and
we get envious of people who own their own business. The difference between
a small business and big biz has not come through yet. Maybe has it with
our social democratic heritage to do. We are a country of employees, not of
small entrepreneurs.

On the other hand ecological farming is getting big and has a clear
government support. The parliament has taken the official dicision to have
10% ecological agriculture by year 2000. I have straightforward and good
personal channels to  bureaucracy and government and I am active to
strengthen the ecological-biodynamic movement by raising grass-root
competence and transparancy in questions of strategy. Potentially, we could
help to strengthen the swedish government in their role in the EU by coming
up with everybody win solutions based on biologically self sustaining
farming and local food production.

There are a few eco farmers in Sweden that are aware of the CSA success in
the USA and who are thinking about it. Old farmers remember an old CSA like
system in Sweden that was overrun by industialization and failed. It had
some flaws. The pioneers tended to do all the work and when they finally
left the whole thing got slow. Old farmers remember and are reluctant to
try it again.

I work as manager for agricultural advice in a small company that is a part
of the biodynamic - anthroposophical movement and I promote the coming up
CSA sprouts whenever I can.

I am greatful for a competent listener to mirror my thoughts, to identify
flaws and weaknesses before life does it for me.

Hans von Essen