Social Farming Enhancing Elderly Care and Promoting Rural Integration in Europe

On June 6th 2024, Brussels hosted a landmark conference which underscore the growing significance of social farming in addressing some of Europe’s pressing socio-economic challenges. Under the title “Cultivating Community: Social Farming’s Role in Ageing Well”, the event’s aim was to present the results of the EU-funded Erasmus+ FarmElder project, which has been working to promote social farming for the elderly across Europe. On the one hand, partners from Germany, Ireland, Portugal and Slovenia disseminated the initiative in their countries to spread social farming locally. On the other hand, ELO, as a Brussels-based partner, promoted social farming in Brussels by involving stakeholders and key actors from a wide range of sectors, from NGOs to EU institutions and other city representatives.

What is Social Farming?

Social farming is defined by Di Iacovo and O’Connor, 2009, as “short- or long-term activities that use agricultural resources such as animals and plants to promote and generate social services in rural areas”. This practice targets vulnerable individuals at risk of social exclusion by offering assisted apprenticeships and therapeutic activities. This approach benefits specific groups facing their own unique challenges. For the elderly, particularly those with dementia, social farming provides essential care and therapeutic interventions. Existing studies show significant benefits, including improved physical health, mental well-being and social integration. The practice of social farming is increasingly interesting for the whole community, as the benefits of involving individuals at risk of exclusion can have positive social and economic impacts in the long run. In particular, in the current historical moment we live in, it is clearly highlighted that the birth rate in Europe is very low, while the elderly population is increasing.

Addressing Demographic Shifts

The benefits of social farming extend beyond individual participants, positively impacting the broader community both socially and economically. Europe is experiencing a demographic shift: a declining birth rate coupled with an increasing elderly population. This trend is highlighted in the European Commission’s Green Paper on Ageing, which stresses the need to ensure a quality life for citizens over 65 while maintaining economic sustainability and social cohesion. Economically, the growing number of pensioners poses a threat to the sustainability of pension systems. The Green Paper calls for a review of employment and pension policies to promote the employment of elderly individuals and their economic contributions. Socially, it emphasizes combating age discrimination and promoting the inclusion of older people to foster a more cohesive society. Health-wise, there is a push to meet the rising demand for high-quality long-term care services, particularly in rural areas.

The Role of Social Farming in Elderly Care

Social farming can offer holistic solutions to the challenges faced by elderly, aligning with the EU’s emphasis on intergenerational solidarity and responsibility. The practice supports active ageing, which helps maintain physical and mental health, combats social isolation, and fosters social inclusion.

Sustainability – but The Social Pillar

The FarmElder project has been a driving force in disseminating social farming practices across Europe. At the Brussels conference, partners shared their experiences and strategies for local implementation. The stage was honoured to host first Matyas Szabo of the European Commission who gave the keynote address on supporting social farming in the European Union and Elaine Cleary who presented the FarmElder experience. This was followed by an engaging panel discussion focused on aligning research, practice and policy to promote transformative change in the social farming sector, attended by Elena Ambühl, expert in the promotion of sustainable agriculture of Agroecology Europe Association, Joseph McCrohan as Irish social farm manager and again Matyas Szabo.

Reveal the Potential of Social Farming – Insights from our Speakers

The keynote address emphasised the crucial role of the social economy in providing basic services in rural areas that are often inaccessible or unavailable, such as: mobility and health. By using agricultural resources in a more sustainable and innovative way, social farming creates a win-win situation for all, providing services that benefit economy and community. Secondly, the CAP offers different measures to Member States, recognising that what works in one area may not be effective elsewhere. As a result, not all Member States prioritise social farming, complicating efforts to collect, analyse and quantify its benefits. In any case, some key resources supporting these efforts have been mentioned as:

• The Rural Action Plan, developed by the European Commission, outlines 24 thematic actions aimed at revitalizing rural areas across Europe.
• The ‘EU CAP Network: Focus Group’ provides an overview of the initiatives and projects undertaken to foster social economy within rural areas across the European Union by the EU CAP Network, a collaborative platform supported by the European Commission and experts across various sectors.
• The ENRD platform, managed by the European Commission, promotes innovation, best practice exchange, and policy implementation in agriculture and rural areas.

The panel discussion showed the points of view of the three experts and explored the multiple benefits and challenges of social farming. It started by defining the long-term benefits of the practice of social farming, using Ireland as an example, where there are farms that have been practising social farming for more than 10 years. This practice offers new market opportunities, as well helps to meet the demographic challenges of farmers, playing a vital and dynamic role in the social economy. It would also lead to support the implementation of more social care initiatives in rural communities, particularly to support the elderly population and create new employment opportunities in rural areas. However, there are still limits to the wider uptake of social farming for several reasons. In particular, the responsibility for workplace safety, the effective preparation of farmers to deal specific demographic groups, and the lack of a clear definition and formal recognition of social farming enterprises both in individual Member States and at European level and, consequently, of a fair tax regime. Furthermore, social farming goes hand in hand with changing the management style and using an innovative approach, which in some cases is obstructed by low generational turnover.

Is there any Future for Social Farming?

The conference concluded with a consensus on the importance of continuous and long-team policy support for social farming. The FarmElder project’s website www.farmelder.eu offers valuable resources, including a free training platform for farmers. This initiative exemplifies the potential of social farming to empower rural communities, enhance elderly care, and promote sustainable development across Europe. As Europe faces demographic and social challenges, social farming stands out as a promising approach to creating a more inclusive and resilient future.