Green Care (GC) and Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) are recognised practices useful to enhance the wellbeing of people through interaction with nature and animals. This study aims at understanding the interconnections between GC and AAI by analysing deeply which interaction with animals is conducted. Therefore, we carried out a literature search through Web of Science and Google Scholar that allowed retrieval of 993 records; after the PRISMA selection process, 42 were included. Relevant information was extracted: year of publication, geographical location, objectives, settings in agricultural environment, animal species, characteristics of users involved, type of human–animal interaction, coexistence of other activities without animals, animal health and welfare issues. From the review emerged that research on GC with animals is common in high-income countries and that the line between AAI and occupational therapy is often vague. Moreover, the most common setting for these interventions appears to be the farm, and frequently animals involved are not selected according to their ethological characteristics. Users in this context are extremely various and not only involved in activities with animals. Within the included studies, we noted a lack in the consideration of animal welfare that indicates the need for increased awareness among practitioners and a more ethical approach when animals are involved.
In the European framework of multifunctional agriculture, Social Farming (SF) has constantly been spreading. In Italy, these practices are legally connected to Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI), creating new perspectives and challenges for farmers and their territories. In this paper, we report the results of a pilot study conducted in the Veneto Region to understand farmers’ opinions about the opportunities and challenges of SF and AAI. Participants were convened by the Italian farmers’ trade organization Coldiretti. All of them provide social/healthcare services on their farms, including human–animal interaction, and have attended the regional training courses for Social Farming providers. Data were collected during two focus groups that were videotaped and subsequently analyzed by two researchers to categorize and dope out relevant topics. Results show a mismatch between what is stated by national and regional laws and the current situation reported by farmers. They are faced with many economic challenges as well as barriers in their relationship with traditional healthcare services. However, farmers have a strong motivation and believe in the benefits that AAI and SF offer to society in rural and urban areas.
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