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Social Farming: Heterogeneity in Social and Agricultural Relationships

Author

Listed:
  • Angela Genova

    (Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

  • Martina Maccaroni

    (Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

  • Elena Viganò

    (Department of Economics, Society, Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy)

Abstract

Social farming (SF) has emerged as a social innovation practice shaping heterogeneous approaches and results. This study discusses the complexity of SF policy and practices, and it is led by the main hypothesis that the relationship between agricultural and social dimensions might be very heterogeneous, not only in different national contexts but also within the same national and local level. SF policy and practices are investigated testing the hypothesis of three main different modalities of interaction according to how the social and the agricultural perspectives interact. In the first, social target is not involved in the production system of the farm and the farm is the context where actions and measures of a social nature take place. In the second type of interaction, the farm employs the beneficiaries in some of its production activities collaborating with the social services. The third is where the farm organizes its activities to actively employ targeted people to enhance their social inclusion and integration in the community. Italian SF policy and practices are analyzed as case study, through the lens of sociological critical discourse analysis regarding the regional regulatory documents, and interviews for local case studies. The results of the study show that SF policy and practices might be very heterogeneous also within the same national and local level, outlining different hybridization of social and agriculture actions that can be properly analyzed through the three SF model proposal. This study contributes to the broader debate on the various dimensions of sustainability, suggesting the need for further research on the efficiency of SF as local development model sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms.

Suggested Citation

  • Angela Genova & Martina Maccaroni & Elena Viganò, 2020. "Social Farming: Heterogeneity in Social and Agricultural Relationships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:12:p:4824-:d:370780
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Marina García-Llorente & Cristiano M. Rossignoli & Francesco Di Iacovo & Roberta Moruzzo, 2016. "Social Farming in the Promotion of Social-Ecological Sustainability in Rural and Periurban Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-15, November.
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    4. Ivana Bassi & Federico Nassivera & Lucia Piani, 2016. "Social farming: a proposal to explore the effects of structural and relational variables on social farm results," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Angela Mariani & Elena Vigan?, 2013. "Il Commercio Equo: un modello replicabile per lo sviluppo sostenibile," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(1), pages 149-161.
    6. Alberto Sturla & Elena Vigan? & Laura Vigan?, 2019. "The Organic Districts in Italy. An Interpretative Hypothesis in the Light of the Common Pool Resources Theory," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 21(2), pages 429-458.
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    2. Fazari, Erika & Musolino, Dario, 2022. "Social farming in high mountain regions: The case of the Aosta Valley in Italy," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 24(3), December.
    3. Erika Fazari & Dario Musolino, 2022. "Social farming in high mountain regions: The case of the Aosta Valley in Italy," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 24(3), pages 1-33.
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    5. Morgana Galardi & Lorena Filugelli & Roberta Moruzzo & Francesco Riccioli & Franco Mutinelli & Salomon Espinosa Diaz & Laura Contalbrigo, 2022. "Challenges and Perspectives of Social Farming in North-Eastern Italy: The Farmers’ View," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-12, July.

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