Report on Climate Change Impacts on Vermont’s Community Supported Agriculture and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

This report analyzes the impacts of climate change on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) models in Vermont, as evidenced by recent weather events and their effects on farm operations and consumer membership. It highlights the challenges faced by local farms in achieving food security and economic stability while underscoring their adaptive strategies. These efforts directly align with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

2.0 Climate Change Impacts on Local Agricultural Systems

Increasingly frequent and severe weather events, driven by climate change, are disrupting traditional farming schedules and outputs in Vermont. This directly threatens the viability of local food systems and the objectives of SDG 13 (Climate Action).

2.1 Disruption to Food Production and Security (SDG 2 & SDG 13)

Climate-related disruptions have led to significant challenges in maintaining consistent food production, impacting local food security as outlined in SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

• Altered Harvesting Schedules: Rising temperatures have shifted harvesting timelines. For example, Brussels sprouts, once a summer crop, are now delayed until the winter share due to a lack of early frost.
• Extreme Weather Events: Summer flooding in 2023 and 2024 caused substantial crop loss for farms like the Intervale Community Farm.
• Specific Crop Failures: Key staples such as carrots, butternut squash, and onions were lost at the Intervale farm, forcing members to rely on conventional grocery stores and disrupting local supply chains.
• Heatwave Effects: Ananda Gardens reported the need for protective measures like cover mesh in greenhouses to prevent crops from burning during summer heatwaves.

2.2 Economic and Social Resilience Challenges (SDG 11 & SDG 12)

The unpredictability of crop yields poses a direct threat to the economic stability of CSA farms and affects consumer behavior, challenging the goals of creating resilient communities (SDG 11) and sustainable consumption patterns (SDG 12).

1. Membership Fluctuation: The Intervale Community Farm experienced a drop in its membership renewal rate from a typical 90% to 80-85% following the floods, particularly among newer members. This indicates that climate instability can erode consumer confidence in the CSA model.
2. Consumer Adaptation: Long-term members have had to adjust their expectations and purchasing habits, supplementing their CSA shares with store-bought produce they previously received from the farm.
3. Economic Strain on Farms: Crop failures and reduced membership place direct financial pressure on farms, jeopardizing a model designed to provide them with secure, upfront revenue.

3.0 Adaptation Strategies and Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals

In response to these challenges, Vermont CSA farms are implementing innovative strategies that enhance their resilience and actively contribute to multiple SDGs.

3.1 Promoting Sustainable and Resilient Agricultural Practices (SDG 2 & SDG 15)

Farms are adopting methods that support sustainable agriculture (SDG 2) and protect terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15).

• Crop Diversification: Ananda Gardens cultivates 60 to 80 different crop varieties, a strategy that mitigates the risk of total crop failure by ensuring that “you don’t have all your eggs in one basket.”
• Strategic Land Management: The Farm Upstream deliberately selected land with well-drained soil, avoiding floodplains to minimize vulnerability to extreme rainfall.
• Successive Planting: The practice of planting a new crop immediately after a harvest allows for greater seasonal variability and a quicker recovery from catastrophic events.
• Adjusted Labor Practices: To cope with extreme heat, farms like Ananda Gardens have shifted work schedules to earlier in the day, protecting worker well-being.

3.2 Fostering Responsible Consumption and Community Resilience (SDG 11 & SDG 12)

CSAs are reinforcing their role in building sustainable communities (SDG 11) and promoting responsible consumption (SDG 12) through enhanced flexibility and community engagement.

1. Flexible CSA Models: The Farm Upstream is developing models that offer members more choice in produce and flexible pick-up times to better suit modern lifestyles.
2. Strengthening Community Bonds: Farms are hosting events like tours and potlucks to transform the member relationship from a simple transaction into a community partnership. This fosters loyalty, as demonstrated by members who declined a refund for lost crops to support the farm’s recovery.
3. Commitment to Local Economy: Despite climate risks, farms remain committed to their role in strengthening the local economy and providing fresh, local produce, thereby reinforcing the principles of responsible production and consumption.

4.0 Conclusion

Vermont’s CSA farms are on the front lines of the climate crisis, facing significant threats to their operational and economic models. However, their adaptive strategies—including agricultural diversification, strategic land management, and strengthened community engagement—demonstrate a resilient pathway forward. These efforts are crucial for maintaining local food security and are in direct alignment with the global objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those concerning climate action, sustainable agriculture, and resilient communities.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   The article directly relates to SDG 2 by focusing on local food production systems, specifically Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). It discusses the challenges climate change poses to food security and agricultural productivity, such as crop loss due to flooding and heat waves. The efforts of farms to maintain a steady supply of produce for their members are central to ensuring local food access.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   This goal is addressed through the lens of community resilience. The article highlights how climate-related disasters like flooding impact local communities and their food systems. The CSA model itself is a form of community-building, creating a direct link between food producers and consumers and fostering a sense of shared responsibility, as seen when members choose not to take refunds after crop losses to support the farm.

3. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   The CSA model promotes sustainable consumption and production patterns. Members engage directly with the source of their food, leading to greater awareness of the challenges in agriculture, as noted by members observing changes in crop availability. Farms, in turn, are adopting more sustainable and resilient production methods, such as crop diversification and successive planting, to adapt to environmental changes.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   This is the central theme of the article. It extensively details the impacts of climate change on local agriculture, including rising temperatures (“It is no longer cold in October”), extreme weather events (“summer flooding that damaged and destroyed many farms”), and heat waves. The article’s primary focus is on the adaptation strategies and resilience-building measures that farms are implementing to cope with these climate-related hazards.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
    
    Explanation: The article describes farms implementing resilient practices to adapt to climate change. For example, The Farm Upstream “diversifies their crops and practices successive planting” and chose land with “well-drained soil” that “steers clear of floodplains.” Ananda Gardens has “60 to 80 different varieties of crops” to ensure they “don’t have all your eggs in one basket.” These are direct examples of strengthening adaptive capacity to disasters like flooding and heat.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
    
    Explanation: The article details the economic and social impacts of flooding. It mentions that the Intervale Community Farm was “hit by summer flooding that damaged and destroyed many farms” and “lost many of their regular products, including carrots, butternut squash and onions.” The drop in CSA membership renewal rates after the floods also indicates the number of people affected by these disasters.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  • Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
    
    Explanation: The CSA model fosters awareness among its members. The article notes that “longtime CSA members, has noticed climate disruptions, such as warmer weather and flooding creeping into their produce-filled lives.” Farms also plan community events like “farm tours and potlucks” to “make sure people feel like they’re a part of something that’s more than a transaction,” further enhancing awareness.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
    
    Explanation: The entire article is a case study on this target. It describes numerous adaptation strategies: diversifying crops, successive planting, careful land selection to avoid floodplains, using “a cover mesh in their greenhouses because the crops can burn from the heat,” and shifting farm work schedules to avoid extreme heat. The CSA business model itself, providing “a secured revenue,” is a form of economic resilience for farms.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicators for Target 2.4 (Resilient Agriculture)

  • Number of crop varieties: The article mentions Ananda Gardens grows “60 to 80 different varieties of crops” as a diversification strategy.
  • Adoption of resilient practices: The article explicitly names practices like “successive planting,” choosing land with “well-drained soil,” and using “cover mesh” in greenhouses.

• Indicators for Target 11.5 (Disaster Impact)

  • Economic losses in agriculture: The loss of specific crops is mentioned, such as “carrots, butternut squash and onions” and a “greenhouse of tomatoes.”
  • Impact on community participation: The Intervale farm’s membership renewal rate dropping from a typical “90%… to 80–85%” after the floods serves as a direct indicator of the number of people affected.

• Indicators for Target 12.8 (Sustainable Development Awareness)

  • Consumer awareness: Member testimony, such as Robin Berger noticing that “it is no longer cold in October” and having to “adjust their expectations on what crops they’re receiving,” indicates heightened awareness.
  • Community engagement activities: The plan to host “community events with their members, including farm tours and potlucks” is an indicator of efforts to increase awareness and connection.

• Indicators for Target 13.1 (Climate Adaptation)

  • Implementation of adaptation measures: The article lists several concrete measures, including crop diversification, successive planting, careful land selection, and shifting work schedules due to heat waves.
  • Community and economic resilience: The loyalty of members who “never considered ending her CSA membership” and refused refunds is a qualitative indicator of community resilience. The CSA model providing “a secured revenue” is an indicator of economic resilience for farms.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: vtdigger.org