In the summer of 2010 LEI (part of Wageningen UR) researcher Aïde Roest presented two papers on green care in agriculture. In July Roest presented the paper ‘Regional platforms for green care farming in the Netherlands’ at the IFSA congress in Vienna. This paper describes a global overview of green care farming in the Netherlands and focuses on the differences amongst green care farms in three different regions. The results show that there are differences between the care farms in both agricultural structure and the care that is provided by the green care farms.
In August the final congress was held: Cost Action 866: green care in agriculture. During this congress the book ‘The Economics of Green Care in Agriculture’ was presented. This book contains a paper by Roest and Gabe Venema, together with Andrea van Schie (independent project manager): ‘Using SROI and SCBA for measuring social return of Green Care in Agriculture.' The method Social Return on Investment (SROI) is relatively new. It systematically charts the social benefits on farm level. For measuring on a regional or national level, the method of social cost-benefit analyses (SCBA) can be used. The paper describes both methods and the possibility to combine them. The main difference is that SROI includes a larger input of involved stakeholders on a local level and is farm or project based, while SCBA includes a broader range of social aspects on a larger scale.
The response during both congresses was that researchers need more insight into the developments on a regional level, to stimulate and professionalise green care farming. In a later stage measuring the social benefits can support green care in agriculture in its further development.
In January 2011 LEI will start in a European Leonardo Project MAIE (Multifunctional Agriculture in Europe) in the field of education.
Paper Regional platforms for green care farming in the Netherlands