Agriculture not only as a job opportunity, but also as an opportunity for the inclusion of disadvantaged people. This is the social mission included in a bill being examined by the Montecitorio Agriculture Commission, which has developed a basic text for discussion.
Social agriculture means the activities of agricultural entrepreneurs aimed at carrying out various projects:
a) socio-employment integration of disadvantaged, very disadvantaged and disabled people, as well as minors of working age included in rehabilitation and social support projects;
b) social, social-health, rehabilitative, therapeutic, training and educational benefits and services for families, the elderly and those belonging to vulnerable groups or those at risk of marginalisation;
c) social and service activities for the local communities which use the resources to promote therapeutic, enabling, social and work inclusion, recreation and services useful for daily life and education (for example, reception and pre-school age children – agrinido and agri- asylum - and reception and accommodation of adults and pensioners with social, physical and mental difficulties);
d) projects aimed at environmental and food education, the protection of biodiversity as well as the dissemination of knowledge of the territory through the organization of social and educational farms recognized at regional level.
In support of this initiative, the draft law being examined by the Agriculture Commission of the Chamber contains some interventions. For example, it is envisaged that school and hospital canteens can indicate, in tenders concerning the related supply services, priority criteria for the inclusion of agri-food products from social farming operators. Not only that: the text also provides that the Municipalities can define methods for the presence and valorisation of products from social agriculture in public areas.
