Integrating social farming into welfare systems for social inclusion and employment

On Welforum.it, Federico Grassi describes how social farming in Tuscany is trying to move beyond being just a set of good practices and become a stable part of the integrated system of social, socio-health, and employment services. The reference point is the UPFARM project, co-financed with ESF+ Social Innovation funds, which in the front-runner areas […]

Long-term unemployment goes beyond skills gaps

Based on research conducted by the Institute for Social Research as part of the UPFARM project, which examined long-term unemployment in Tuscany. Adapted for the blog by Impact Hub Network. When someone has been out of work for a year or more, the instinct is to ask: What obstacles and barriers are they facing? Which […]

When farming meets inclusion: can social farming bridge Europe’s rural workforce gap?

Based on the original article “Work and Social Farming: Characteristics, Opportunities and Limitations” by Francesco Di Iacovo and Giulia Granai. Adapted and restructured for the blog by Impact Hub Network. Across Italy and Europe, the agricultural workforce is aging. Farming skills built over generations are disappearing faster than they can be passed on. Fewer young […]

What is Social Farming and Why Does It Matter?

What is Social Farming? Social farming (also referred to as care farming or green care, depending on the project typologies, main objectives, and welfare systems in which farms operate) valorises working farms and agricultural activities to provide diverse services and to reinforce the social protection net for vulnerable people and communities in rural and peri-urban […]