Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

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Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development Roberto Finuola Economic Development Ministry Evaluation Unit (Uval), Italy [email protected]

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Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Transcript of Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Page 1: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local

development

Roberto FinuolaEconomic Development Ministry

Evaluation Unit (Uval), Italy

[email protected]

Page 2: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

What is Social Farming (SF ) ?

A wide constellation of dif-

ferent practices with two

common elements:

1. to be practised in a farm;

2. to be directed to less em-

powered people (mentally &

physically disabled, drug

addicts, children, the elderly,

prisoners, youngsters, burnt

out.... people).

Page 3: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Social farming Areas

Work inclusion

EducationRecreation

• Therapeutic activity• Assisted therapies with

animals (e.g., pettherapy) horticulturaltherapies... for people with physical disabilitiesor psychiatric problems.

• Rehabilitation, housing, social integration.

• Not self-sufficientelderly, drug/alcoholaddicts, victims oftrauma (children, abusedpeople…), formerprisoners, people recovering from illness

• …….

• Work placement and training

• Inclusion in the job market of physically and mentally disabed people who parti-cipate in the agricultural cycles depending on their abilities.

• Prisons

• Work and training in newjob skills.

• Lands confiscated from organized crime entities (Italy)

• young people in social co-operatives.

• Inclusion in schools• Activities for students

with learning difficultiesor social adaptationproblems.

• Learning activities• (Educational farms)

hands-on learning forstudents about rurallivelihoods andagricultural cycles.

• Cultural activities• Renewed appreciation

of traditional ruralvalues and customs

Therapy -Rehabilitation

Page 4: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

European nets on SF

voluntary based activity

around Social Farming

research net focused on

3 fields: efficiency,

economics , Green Care

policies

http://sofar.unipi.it

project aimed at sup-

porting EU policies

Page 5: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

SF in EU: a diverse history

ITALYClosing down of mental

hospitals in the 70’s; start of social co-

operatives; 2000: RD opened to SF

GERMANYlong history (since 1800)

70’ s sheltered workshops; Camphill communities…

IRELAND70’ Camphill, religious

communities

90’ first soc. farms

NETHERLANDS70’s Anthroposophist & religious

communities;

90’ private “care farms”

BELGIUM1800: Community of

Geel90’s private care farms

SLOVENIASocial-healthinstitutions

90’ first soc. farms

FRANCELong history (“open gardens”);90’s networks (“Les“Jardins de

Cocagne”,“Reseau de

Cocagne…”)

INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH

PRIVATE APPROACH

MIXED APPROACH

Page 6: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

SF in EU: a diverse orientation

In many countries SF < 1% of

total farms but operating in

remote rural areas

Source: Sofar Project - 2008

AgricultureHealth

Italy,

France

Germany,

Ireland,

Slovenia

Netherlands

Belgium

Social &

health careRural develop.

policies

Public

payments

Public projects

(employment)

Food markets

(ethical; direct

selling)

Public

structures

(Gr,SL, Irl)

Social Co-ops

type A/B (I)

Farms (NL)

Associations

(I, Fr)

Social Co-ops

type B (I)

Public funds

(Health/care,

educ. sector)

Compensations to

Farmers (B)

Support to new

SF initiatives (I)

Farms (I, Fr)

Charity

Page 7: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Social Farming Governance in Italy

AGRICULTURE

Social Coop. AAgricultural processes as

a tool for care (“green”

therapies)

Social Coop. BAgriculture as an

occupational therapy;

agriculture as a job

Beneficiariesmentally/psychiatrically disabledphysically disabledchildren,youngsters,the elderly,drug-alcohol addictedprisoners & former pr.

………….

State

Regions

MunicipalitiesProvinces Local Health Units

VOLUNTARY & SERVICES ASS.

Private actorsPublic InstitutionsConsumers

Users

Social FarmsPrivate farms; SF as diver-

sification (multifunctionality)

Page 8: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Rural Development Policy 2007-2013SF is a“key action” of AxisIII in National Strategy Plan2007-2013 referring to:

B) To diversify the rural

economy :

The initiatives of social agriculture are

among the key actions for the creation of

new occupational or income-generating

opportunities in rural areas.

A) Improving the quality of lifein rural areas:“A trend worth promoting and sustaining

is that of companies (agricultural and

service-providing) that operate in the field

of the so-called social agriculture (using

farms for meeting social needs such as

the rehabilitation and re-integration of

disadvantaged people, educational acti-

vities for schools, etc.)”.

Page 9: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

SF in Regional Rural Development

Programmes (RDPs) 2007-2013

Meas. 311 – Diversification

All of the regions foresee

social agriculture actions

Meas. 321 – Services for the

rural populations

All of the regions – except for a

few exceptions - foresee social

agriculture actionsSocial Farming is

supported by RDPs

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SF in Regional & Cohesion Policies In the National Strategic Fra-mework 2007-2013 2 prio-rities interesting SF: Pr. 4: social inclusion and

services for the quality oflife and the attractivenessof the territory

actions for disabled/disadvantagedpeople

improving the quality and ac-

cessibility in rural areas of social

protection services

Pr. 8: competivity and at-

tractiveness of cities and

urban systems

Reinforcement of functional rela-

tionships between urban systems

and rural systems

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SF in Regional Operational Programmes

ESFAxis: Social Inclusion(integration into the job marketof disadvantaged persons …)

Axis: Adaptability (training

for new activities …) ERDF (Southern Italy)

Improving essential services forthe rural area population (social-health, services for children…)

Adaptability and employabilitypriority (new profiles of entrepre-neurship, social responsibility…)

ERDF (Northern Italy)

Focus on productivity

Some actions in priorities infavour of entrepreneurship

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The role of SF in connecting policies: some experiences

“Distretto rurale di econo-

mia solidale” (Solidary Econo-

my Rural District). Integrated

approach of local social-health

institutions, farmers, co-ope-

ratives…….. Activities: working

inclusion, housing autonomy for

disabled people, ethical trade

mark for local products (wine)…..

“Rete Nazionale Fatto-

rie sociali” (Social Farms

national network)

“Libera Terra” (Free Land) net

of co-operatives cultivating lands

confiscated to organized crime

"Valdera Health

Society” new

organization to inte-grate health policywithin a participa-tive territorial ap-proach.

“La Buona

Terra” (the

good land). Wor-

king inclusion of

drug/alcohol

addicts in

Co.ops & private

farms

“TITRA - INEA” (Institutional

Table for Therapeutic Rehabilita-ting activities in Agriculture). Aim: to promote experimental projects to validate AAT.

Page 13: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Concentration of elderly people

pressure on publich health care

organized crime

An Integrated Policy

decreasing of young people

depopulation

Page 14: Social Farming (SF) in Italy: an opportunity for local development

Is SF able to give answers to these issues?

SF could create new anddiffused services in farms

everywhere in rural areas

depopulation & undermi-ning provision of key

public services

SF is an opportunity for young people (public lands given to young people co-operatives?)

decreasing number of young

people in rural areas

Concentration of elderly people puts

pressure on publich health care

SF allows to create, possibly at lower costs, structures in farms to give daily assistance to elderly people and also to host

them permanently

organized crime

impacts policy

effectiveness

confiscated lands offer new opportuni-ties to young people and develop the

awareness of “legality” in difficult areas

an integrated policy

should foster social

cohesion

“Integration” is a key word in SF, including agriculture, health, social, local development, employment and

education…

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Future developments in supporting SF

• In Italy: Regional Policy and Rural Development Policy

are working in this direction with the support of the

Evaluation Unit and the The National Rural Network

• In Europe: nets of SF are also working to improve

knowledge about the phenomena and the impact of

policies

• What is happening in other OECD countries?

• Can we foresee to deep Social Farming

analysis at OECD level?

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[email protected]

Thank you for your attention.