Green Care: A Conceptual Framework - Frisk i naturen
Green Care: A Conceptual Framework - Frisk i naturen
Green Care: A Conceptual Framework - Frisk i naturen
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
It is generally accepted by many that farmers and other land managers<br />
should be recognised or paid for the public services they produce<br />
(Sutherland, 2004) and although the new combination of agrienvironmental<br />
schemes in England (Defra, 2007) supports this to a certain<br />
extent, on the whole mainstream discussions of multifunctionality in<br />
agriculture (and forestry) have hitherto neglected the health and the social<br />
values of activities associated with nature (Nilsson et al, 2007).<br />
<strong>Green</strong> care farming however, can be seen as an example of multifunctional<br />
agriculture and interestingly many of the care farmers in Europe and<br />
the UK are the same farmers who are also involved in environmental<br />
conservation, leisure and educational activities (Hassink and van Dijk,<br />
2006).<br />
It is worth noting the difference between multifunctionality in agriculture<br />
and on-farm diversification. The Organization of Economic and<br />
Cooperation Development (OECD), states that multifunctionality refers<br />
to the fact that the economic activity (in this case, farming) may have<br />
multiple outputs (agricultural production, healthcare, landscape aesthetics<br />
etc) and, by virtue of this, may contribute to several societal objectives<br />
at once (OECD, 2008a). Diversification on the other hand, refers to the<br />
expansion of an existing firm (the agricultural enterprise) into production<br />
activities in different economic sectors (OECD, 2008b; Nilsson et al, 2007)<br />
(i.e. Bed and Breakfast, caravan storage, haulage, renting out land for nonagricultural<br />
purposes and so on).<br />
It does appear that there may be good prospects for further enhancing<br />
agriculture’s multifunctionality in a coordinated way that builds on past<br />
experiences (Dobbs and Pretty, 2004). Utilising the capacity of health<br />
services from farming and agricultural land can offer another example of<br />
the potential for multifunctionality in agriculture. <strong>Care</strong> farming is therefore<br />
part of a growing recognition that land is multifunctional, providing a<br />
range of environmental and social goods and services. <strong>Green</strong> care on farms<br />
can also be seen as a way to reconnect people to the land, and to the food<br />
produced by domestic farming.<br />
109