The central business institution of any CSAL Program is a "triple-bottom-line" for-benefit corporation called an Agroforestry Business Development Services Company (BDSCom). About 20 U.S. states now have benefit corporation law, including California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Delaware, and Rhode Island as well as District of Columbia. Benefit corporation law fits the needs of CSAL Programs, and the closest available approximation to it should be used by newly registered BDSComs. A BDSCom functions as a research, testing and learning center for Community Supported Enterprises (CSEs) whose growth is driven by local entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, derived directly or indirectly from experiments and pilot operations on lands used by the BDSCom.

Contributors of value to a BDSCom are compensated by equity. Not all shareholders necessarily invest cash. Value may be contributed in proprietary technology, professional skills (including management), and hard work ("sweat equity"). Local schools may be shareholders, investing "human capital" in the long-run productivity of their BDSCom. The schools are beneficiaries of BDSCom's contributions to the practical education of future students, and their earnings will tend to flow back to their schools as alumni support.