Crisis Could Result in a More Sustainable Food System

The food system, from supply to distribution and consumption, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Community supported agriculture could potentially benefit.

2 minute read

May 12, 2020, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Urban Agriculture

Alice Henneman / Flickr

"From California to Maine, the movement known as community supported agriculture (CSA) is booming," according to an article by Eric Westervelt. 

A soundbite puts an exclamation on this point:

"In all the time that we've worked with CSAs, which is several decades, we've never seen a surge as quickly as we have of the last few weeks," said Evan Wiig with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, which supports and lobbies on behalf of CSAs across California.

Westervelt's coverage of the growth of CSAs contracts other narratives about risks emerging in the food system, both in terms of supply and distribution, that have emerged during the pandemic. The headline for an article by Kevin Rector, for instance, reads as follows: "Rotting food. Hungry masses. Chaotic supply chains. Coronavirus upends the U.S. food system."

Another article, by Adam Clark Estes for Recode, explains why the American meat shortage is much more serious than Wendy's asking, "where's the beef?" (the jokes on Twitter wrote themselves when news of a meat shortage at the fast food chain made the rounds earlier this month). The effects of the coronavirus on the U.S. food system could have lasting impacts for years, writes Estes:

This context should put your missing hamburger into perspective. The plight of these workers is just the starting point in a chain of crises the coronavirus is creating in America’s food supply. The shuttered meatpacking plants have created a bottleneck in the system through which most meat in the United States must flow in order to get ground beef to Wendy’s, chicken breasts to your local grocery stores, bacon to the nearby diner now trying to run a takeout business, and so on.

With such dire warnings and near-panic seeping from most stories about the U.S. food system, a "heydey for CSAs," as it's called in Westervelt's article, could be considered a silver lining.

Sunday, May 10, 2020 in NPR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view of wide street in Cleveland, Ohio with blue 55th Street sign and red brick three-story building visible in right corner.

Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs

The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.

1 hour ago - Signal Cleveland

Aerial view of heavily damaged mobile homes after a hurricane in Florida.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households

Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

2 hours ago - Inside Climate News

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA