tpo_dossier_action-plan-for-innovation-and-learning_201406

2.621CONTACT:MARIKA KRÜGERM.KRUEGER@OEKOHERZ.DEWEBSITE:HTTP://MAIE-PROJECT.EUMULTIFUNCTIONAL AGRICULTURE IN EUROPE- SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS ONORGANIC FARMS (MAIE)Agriculture is no longer solely about the process of foodproduction. Farming can be augmented by a variety ofdifferent activities, including the active marketing of farmproduce, added value processing, eco-tourism, culturalopportunities, (preventative) environmental conservation,health and healing services and social and educationalactivities. Agriculture thus becomes multifunctional.Social farming is one field of multifunctional agriculture thatincludes: looking after people’s health and healing; integratingeducation and therapy objectives; and undertaking a role inrehabilitation and social reintegration.Social farming encompasses agricultural cooperatives andmarket gardens and also school and kindergarten farms. Theaim is to provide a service to certain sections of society suchas people with physical disabilities or learning difficulties, thelong-term unemployed, addicts, the socially disadvantaged,people with severe mental illness, offenders, children andyoung people with behavioural and/or learning difficultiesand the elderly. These people participate in the daily routineof the farm, for example gardening, cultivating the fieldsor animal husbandry. Through providing a safe, positiveenvironment caring for living things, this results in healing,learning, inclusion and a better quality of life (WitzenhausenPosition Paper on the Added Value of Social Farming).The project “Multifunctional Agriculture in Europe - socialand ecological impacts on organic farms” was funded by theLifelong Learning programme. It brought together playersfrom education, agriculture, consumer advice and publicrelations from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, theNetherlands, Finland and Germany with the following goals:• Raising the awareness about the importance andpotential of social farming• Supporting networks and cooperatives in rural areas• Developing training material for farmers• Improving rural structures through alternativeemployment models and sources of income frommultifunctional agricultureThe project started with a bottom-up, participatory analysisof the target group (farmers and trainers in the health, socialwork and justice sectors) to identify their needs. Then nationalFocus Groups with representatives of different sectors(professionals from agriculture, social, health care, justice andeducation) were formed to support the partners during theproject.The project analysed the state-of-the-art in the socialfarming sector to gather all existing information, tools,materials and projects. This was the basis for developing amultilingual vocational training curriculum for farmers whowish to integrate social programmes into their agriculturalenterprise. It has been developed in accordance with theEuropean Credit System for Vocational Education and Training(ECVET) which is recognised throughout Europe.The final step of the project was the creation of competencecentres for social farming in every country taking part in theproject plus a virtual competence centre at internationallevel. Several project partners are now implementing thecurriculum. For example, the curriculum will be offered atuniversities in Bulgaria and Czech Republic. In Germany anadvanced training for farmers and social workers has beendeveloped by the farmers association Thüringer Ökoherze.V. and the University of Erfurt. Also in Portugal and Italy thecurriculum will be used to train farmers and other peopleinterested in social farming.