She decided to set up a project funded by local households which would provide capital for leasing the land and for starting planting. Flaxlands Farm near Canterbury is one of a handful of 'community supported agriculture' projects in the UK where consumers share the risk and rewards with the farmers. Alun believes the schemes are taking off as consumers shy away from intensive farming methods. The first CSA in the US started in 1985, now there are around 500. Similar schemes have also started in countries such as Switzerland, France and Germany.
Most schemes require the consumer to pay a weekly fee in return for a mixed box of fresh produce.
The Group for Producing and Consuming Safe Food is one of the best known teikei consumer groups in Japan. The 1,235 Tokyo households are supplied each week by 30 farmers from Myioshi village, one hours drive outside Tokyo. The members organise themselves in groups for ordering and distributing the food. Like CSAs, the members stay in touch through newsletters, festivals, and meetings. In 1987, the Tokyo consumers purchased a holiday house in Myioshi village, from here they organise camping weekends and run a community rice plot.