What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

To expand CSA, it is crucial to understand what attracts consumers to join. Previous studies have highlighted factors like access to quality food and environmental concerns. However, these studies are limited to specific contexts and regions. So, a deeper look into diverse consumers' complex decision-making processes is needed.

Against this backdrop, a team of researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Eco-Pork Co. Ltd., and Chulalongkorn University investigated the factors influencing consumer participation in CSA. They also examined the relationship between these factors and theorized CSA participation. Led by Mr. Sota Takagi from Tokyo Institute of Technology, the team's paper was published in Agricultural and Food Economics on July 8, 2024.

Highlighting the motivation behind their study, Takagi says, "Socio-economical, psychological, and geographical factors influence consumers' motivations to participate in CSA. So, a holistic understanding and systematic organization of these factors is beneficial for formulating expansion strategies, adapting the model to specific cases, and planning interventions."

The researchers conducted a scoping review using databases like Web of Science and employed open coding to extract factors influencing consumers to participate, continue, and withdraw from CSA. They organized these factors in a diagrammatic way using the KJ method and developed a theoretical model.

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