Farming for Health: Green-Care Farming Across Europe and the United States of America: 13 (Wageningen UR Frontis Series, 13) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1402045409 ISBN 13: 9781402045400

Publisher: Springer, 2006

Synopsis

Farming for Health describes the utilization of agricultural farms, farm animals, plants and landscapes as a base for promoting human mental and physical health and social well-being. This book gives an overview of the development of ‘Farming for Health’ initiatives across Europe. This development is a logical result of the changing paradigms in the health-care sector and the demand for new social and financial impulses in agriculture and rural areas.

Researchers from The Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Slovenia, Germany, Belgium, Poland, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria and Italy as well as the USA contributed to this book. It not only describes the situation in different countries, it also includes scientific papers dealing with different aspects of ‘Farming for Health’.

About this title

Synopsis

The utilization of agricultural farms as a base for promoting human mental and physical health and social well-being is a new promising development. On farms, the animals, the plants, the garden, the forest and the landscape are used in recreational or work-related activities for psychiatric patients, people with learning disabilities, people with a drug history, problem youth, burnt-out and elderly people and social-service clients. If not pure therapy, such activities may have therapeutic value according to extensive experience. The numbers of such multifunctional farms offering Green Care services is increasing rapidly in many countries. The positive experiences seem to be similar in different countries: working on the farm contributes to self-esteem, social skills, rehabilitation, inclusion, responsibility, physical health and sense of purpose. Important recognized qualities of Green Care farms are the space, quietness, useful work, diverse activities, caring activities, the working with plants and animals, and the protective and caring environment of the farmers' family and social community.

Social farming appears as an evolving, dynamic scenario, which is gaining increasing attention from multiple stakeholders. The first part of this book contains scientific papers dealing with different aspects of Farming for Health. The second part describes the situation in different countries.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1402045409
• ISBN 13: 9781402045400
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 372
• Editor: Hassink Jan, Dijk Van Majken