Social farming (SF) in Italy is a diverse practice aimed at benefiting less empowered individuals, such as those with disabilities or those recovering from various hardships, through agricultural activities that incorporate work integration, rehabilitation, and education. Supported by national and regional policies, SF addresses social inclusion and economic diversity in rural areas, demonstrating its potential to improve quality of life and provide new job opportunities. By utilizing lands, including those confiscated from organized crime, SF fosters social cohesion and addresses rural depopulation challenges.

1. Social Farming (SF) in Italy:
an opportunity for local
developmentRoberto FinuolaEconomic Development MinistryEvaluation Unit (Uval), Italyroberto.finuola@tesoro.it

2. What is Social Farming (SF ) ? Awideconstellationofdif- ferentpracticeswithtwocommonelements:
1.tobepractisedinafarm;
2.tobedirectedtolessem- poweredpeople(mentally& physicallydisabled,drugaddicts,children,theelderly, prisoners,youngsters,burntout....people).

3. Social farmingAreasWork inclusionEducationRecreation
•Therapeuticactivity
•Assistedtherapieswithanimals(e.g., pettherapy) horticulturaltherapies... forpeople withphysicaldisabilitiesor psychiatricproblems.
•Rehabilitation, housing, social integration.
•Notself-sufficientelderly, drug/alcoholaddicts, victimsoftrauma (children, abusedpeople…), formerprisoners, people recoveringfromillness
•…….
•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
•Workandtraininginnewjobskills.
•Lands confiscated from organized crime entities (Italy)
•youngpeopleinsocialco- operatives.
•Inclusioninschools
•Activitiesforstudentswithlearningdifficultiesorsocialadaptationproblems.
•Learningactivities
•(Educationalfarms) hands-onlearningforstudentsaboutrurallivelihoodsandagriculturalcycles.
•Culturalactivities
•Renewedappreciationoftraditionalruralvaluesandcustoms
Therapy- Rehabilitation

4. 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

5. SF in EU: a diverse historyITALYClosing down of mental hospitals in the 70’s; start of social co- operatives; 2000: RD opened to SF
GERMANY
long history(since1800)
70’ s shelteredworkshops;
Camphillcommunities… IRELAND70’ Camphill, religious communities90’ first soc. farmsNETHERLANDS70’s Anthroposophist & religious communities; 90’ private “care farms” BELGIUM1800: Community ofGeel90’s private care farmsSLOVENIASocial-healthinstitutions90’ first soc. farmsFRANCELong history(“open gardens”); 90’s networks(“Les“Jardinsde Cocagne”,“Reseaude Cocagne…”) INSTITUTIONAL APPROACHPRIVATE APPROACH
MIXED APPROACH

6. SF in EU: a diverse orientationIn many countries SF < 1% of total farms but operating in remote rural areasSource: Sofar Project -2008
AgricultureHealth
Italy, France
Germany, Ireland, Slovenia
Netherlands
BelgiumSocial & health careRural develop. policiesPublic paymentsPublic 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

7. Social Farming Governance in Italy
AGRICULTURESocial Coop. AAgriculturalprocessesasa toolforcare (“green” therapies)
Social Coop. B
Agriculture asanoccupationaltherapy; agricultureasa job
Beneficiariesmentally/psychiatrically disabledphysically disabledchildren,youngsters, the elderly, drug-alcohol addictedprisoners & former pr. …………. StateRegionsMunicipalitiesProvincesLocal Health UnitsVOLUNTARY & SERVICES ASS. Private actorsPublic Institutions
Consumers
Users Social FarmsPrivatefarms;SFasdiver- sification(multifunctionality)

8. Rural Development Policy 2007-2013
SF is a“key action” of Axis
III in National Strategy Plan
2007-2013 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 life
in 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.)”.

9. SF in Regional Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) 2007-2013
Meas. 311 –Diversification
AlloftheregionsforeseesocialagricultureactionsMeas. 321 –Servicesforthe ruralpopulationsAlloftheregions–exceptforafewexceptions-foreseesocialagricultureactionsSocial FarmingissupportedbyRDPs

10. 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 of
life and the attractiveness
of the territory
actions for disabled/disadvantaged
people
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

11. SF in RegionalOperationalProgrammesESFAxis:SocialInclusion(integrationintothejobmarketofdisadvantagedpersons…) Axis:Adaptability(trainingfornewactivities…)
ERDF (SouthernItaly)
Improvingessentialservicesfortheruralareapopulation(social- health,servicesforchildren…)
Adaptabilityand employabilitypriority(newprofilesof entrepre- neurship, social responsibility…)
ERDF (Northern Italy)
Focusonproductivity
Someactionsinprioritiesinfavourofentrepreneurship

12. 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 policy
within 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.

13. Concentration of elderly people
pressure on publich health care
organized crime
An Integrated Policy
decreasing of young people
depopulation

14. Is SF able to give answers to these issues? SFcouldcreatenewanddiffusedservicesinfarmseverywhereinruralareas
depopulation & undermi- ning provision of key public services
SF is an opportunity for young people (public lands given to young peopleco-operatives?) decreasing number of young people in rural areasConcentration 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 permanentlyorganized crime impacts policy effectiveness
confiscated lands offer new opportuni- ties to young people and develop the awareness of “legality” in difficult areasan integrated policy should foster social cohesion
“Integration” is a key word in SF, including agriculture, health, social, local development, employment and education…

15. Future developments in supporting SF
•InItaly:RegionalPolicyandRuralDevelopmentPolicyareworkinginthisdirectionwiththesupportoftheEvaluationUnitandtheTheNationalRuralNetwork
•InEurope:netsofSFarealsoworkingtoimproveknowledgeaboutthephenomenaandtheimpactofpolicies
•WhatishappeninginotherOECDcountries?
•CanweforeseetodeepSocialFarminganalysisatOECDlevel?

16. roberto.finuola@tesoro.itThank you for your attention.