Thanks for opening this discussion. I have been involved since more than 10 years ago in buiding knowledge and competences in social agriculture in Italy and I have participated to several project at European and international level.
Becoming more and more aware that mutifunctionality and social agriculture is not a field of interest only in developed countries but has a tremendous potential in developing countries in 2012 I founded with my University (the University of Tuscia) a “University spin-off Company” called IDEA 2020 - Innovation and DEvelopment for Agriculture (www.idea2020.eu) to contribute to rural development in developing countries with a multifunctional approach to agriculture and to the development of social farming.
We are descovering a number of projects and initiatives in developing countries that can be considered as social farming, most of them carried on by NGOs. As example I can mention the Shamba Project in Tanzania (http://www.cescproject.org/main/attivita/progetti-internazionali/progetto-shamba/item/68-il-progetto-shamba-in-tanzania.html) where agricuotural activities are combine with a rehabilitation centre for disabled children. The economic sustainability of this projects is guaranteed by several sources: market sales (sunflower oil), international funds,national and regional public funds and voluntary work from youngsters in International civil service.
More in general the social function of farming in developing countries is often an indirect effect of many agricultural and rural development cooperation projects.
Prof. Saverio Senni
Dip.to di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia
D.A.F.N.E.
Università degli Studi della Tuscia
Saverio Senni