S32-S1 Social Agriculture for Social Innovation & Viability in Rural Areas
Tracks
Special Session
| Wednesday, August 29, 2018 |
| 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM |
| WGB_371 |
Details
Convenor(s): Christian Hoffman; Valentina Cattivelli
/ Chair: Christian Hoffman
Speaker
Dr. Christian Hoffmann
Senior Researcher
Eurac Research
Social Farming – an Innovative Offer of Social Services and a Diversification Strategy for Agriculture. The Case of South Tyrol
Author(s) - Presenters are indicated with (p)
Christian Hoffmann (p), Verena Gramm, Clare Giuliani, Valentina Cattivelli
Discussant for this paper
Dario Musolino
Abstract
see extended abstract
Dr. Dario Musolino
University Lecturer
Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) - Università della Valle d'Aosta (Aosta, Italy)
Social farming in Southern Italy between opportunities and ‘old threats’: an exploratory study in Calabria
Author(s) - Presenters are indicated with (p)
Dario Musolino (p), Alba Distaso
Discussant for this paper
Christian Hoffman
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge of social agriculture in Southern Italy, focusing on some important case studies located in Calabria.
In Italy, there is not a systematic and targeted investigation, and data collection, on this new phenomenon. In particular, there are very few studies focused on Southern Italy (Mezzogiorno).
In this macro-region, agriculture plays an important role, as it is a relevant sector in terms of economic indicators such as value added and employees. However, it is also a macro-area where there are serious and dramatic social and economic problems. Endemic problems, like those associated to the presence of organized crime, contribute to make the social and economic situation worse. This picture is true in particular in some regions in Southern Italy, like Calabria.
This paper deals with this issue focusing on this region. Its objective then is to cast light on this new phenomenon in one of the most lagging regions in Italy, to investigate how Calabrian social farms (especially, cooperatives) work, whether they are able to provide effectively social or educational care services to disadvantaged groups, how they do that, what ‘model’ they follow, if any, and whether they combine effectively the social and with the economic objectives. Moreover, the paper investigates how social farms work in such a dramatic context, full of locational disadvantages, negative contextual factors, starting from the presence of the mafia, the ‘old threat’ for the Calabrian society and economy. The objective of this paper appears even more interesting, if we think that in the latest years agriculture in Calabria improved a lot, increasing its value added and its export. Therefore, it represents a great opportunity for the social farms.
The analyses realized and presented in this paper are based on the qualitative empirical evidence coming from a field survey, made of a set of six semi-structured interviews with representatives of some of the most important social farms in Calabria.
The main results point out that even in Calabria many social farms are able to work effectively, providing effectively social or educational care services to vulnerable groups, and being able to fulfil also economic objectives. However, some negative contextual factors strongly influence their activity: this is the case of the Mafia that, as said by some of the interviewees, represents a dramatic, real, threat.
In Italy, there is not a systematic and targeted investigation, and data collection, on this new phenomenon. In particular, there are very few studies focused on Southern Italy (Mezzogiorno).
In this macro-region, agriculture plays an important role, as it is a relevant sector in terms of economic indicators such as value added and employees. However, it is also a macro-area where there are serious and dramatic social and economic problems. Endemic problems, like those associated to the presence of organized crime, contribute to make the social and economic situation worse. This picture is true in particular in some regions in Southern Italy, like Calabria.
This paper deals with this issue focusing on this region. Its objective then is to cast light on this new phenomenon in one of the most lagging regions in Italy, to investigate how Calabrian social farms (especially, cooperatives) work, whether they are able to provide effectively social or educational care services to disadvantaged groups, how they do that, what ‘model’ they follow, if any, and whether they combine effectively the social and with the economic objectives. Moreover, the paper investigates how social farms work in such a dramatic context, full of locational disadvantages, negative contextual factors, starting from the presence of the mafia, the ‘old threat’ for the Calabrian society and economy. The objective of this paper appears even more interesting, if we think that in the latest years agriculture in Calabria improved a lot, increasing its value added and its export. Therefore, it represents a great opportunity for the social farms.
The analyses realized and presented in this paper are based on the qualitative empirical evidence coming from a field survey, made of a set of six semi-structured interviews with representatives of some of the most important social farms in Calabria.
The main results point out that even in Calabria many social farms are able to work effectively, providing effectively social or educational care services to vulnerable groups, and being able to fulfil also economic objectives. However, some negative contextual factors strongly influence their activity: this is the case of the Mafia that, as said by some of the interviewees, represents a dramatic, real, threat.
