Social Farming in Ireland-policy networks as a tool for multi-disciplinary collaboration
Aideen McGloin (University College Dublin), Deirdre O'Connor (University College Dublin), Jim Kinsella (University College Dublin), Stephen Hynes (Teagasc)
Abstract
Social Farming is an emerging phenomenon across Europe, which has the potential to offer solutions to public service provision in rural areas and to re-connect farmers with their community and wider society and consequently may be seen as a dimension of multifunctional agriculture. The concept of multifunctional agriculture states that a farm may fulfil many different roles over and above its primary aim of food/fibre production. Social Farming has emerged from a confluence of issues around this role of agriculture; the challenges of social service provision in rural areas and the demands of people that use services for control of resources allocated for their care and the right to choose services that fulfil their needs.
Social Farming (also known as ‘Green Care’/‘Care Farming’) is based on the recognition that working with animals, plants, soil and being in contact with nature has special value for peoples’ wellbeing. Across Europe, it is being utilised as a service option for people with mental health difficulties, people with disabilities (intellectual, physical and sensory), drug/alcohol rehabilitation services, prisoner rehabilitation services, services for older people, therapeutic activities for children etc. In many of these countries social care providers have linked up with private farmers to offer this service - the opportunity to spend time on farms. In Ireland, Social Farming is not readily understood or known. The research outlined in this paper represents the first attempt to ascertain the nature and extent of Social Farming practices in Ireland. These services have often emerged in an ad hoc manner, more often than not, reliant on the development skills and commitment of individual actors in complete or relative isolation from other Social Farming services. This autonomous mode of development does not allow for shared learning or the extension of social farming to private farms (as in Europe) and the development of local/regional or indeed a national policy on Social Farming.
As will be discussed, the research has sought to facilitate stakeholders from the fields of agriculture, rural development, health, social services and academia to explore the potential development of Social Farming in Ireland through a policy network approach. The aim of this collaboration is to assist fragmented attempts at bottom-up development by creating a policy position to support and promote Social Farming. The network also aims to develop coherent proposals to stimulate cross-sectoral activity on Social Farming. This paper will explore the challenges of establishing such a cross-sectoral network, which emerged from a previous European Framework VI research project in which the University was a partner, but which has evolved post that project, and is now taking on an identity of its own with the University now operating in partnership with stakeholders.
