Everyday Democracy and Civic Agriculture

Abstract

This article develops the concept of “everyday democracy” by analyzing how a community-supported agriculture organization in Taiwan ( CSA - TWN ) practices economic democracy. First, it illustrates how democracy is learned and practiced in daily interactions with the logics of “equality” and “collective decision-making”. Second, it argues that organizations such as CSA - TWN , which operate based on “relationships” and “common values,” need to develop their own democratic mechanisms to ensure consistency of actions and values, which can be achieved through formal and informal conversations. Finally, this article suggests that the informal caring work within CSA - TWN is important as it facilitates the exchange of diverse opinions and emotions, which helps to address conflicts and problems that arise and to sustain the organization’s operations. In the face of contemporary market-based agriculture’s dilemmas, the case of CSA - TWN provides concrete examples of innovative practices that offer alternative forms of economic democracy and institutional design.