Social Agriculture and Its Related Tourist Activities

Exploring the Potential of Social Farmers’ Networking as a Leverage for Inclusive Tourism

“…They may be less binding or consuming in terms of time and resources [compared to social projects] but still essential for the company to access public funds" (F1). This proves the complementary nature of agricultural, social, and recreational activities from which small organisations can benefit from their sustainability [12,13,41]. In line with the work of Kline et al [30] and Mottiar et al [10], a non-competitive approach can also help create market ventures.…”

“…Tourism is an essential resource for the viability of social farming projects, as well as an innovative response to inclusive market demand: it has always been a resource for the economic sustainability of rural Southern Europe [13,41] and a key asset for small family-run farms [12]. Although tourism literature is still in its infancy, recent contributions explore the numerous recreational services that social farming can generate, from the well-known agritourism to sport and educational activities to promoting a new responsible tourism approach known as "Woofing" [13]. As highlighted by Uvarova and Vitola [42], small farms dealing with specific social needs are also more likely to find new pathways to meet new market demands, thus making social farming a resource for developing an inclusive tourism offer in rural areas [43].…”

“…Tourism can also promote the employment of people needing help accessing the job market by providing specific and sectorial-related training [41]. For example, agritourism offers employment opportunities to people with intellectual, relational, and physical disabilities [46] and generates positive externalities for individuals by improving their participation in social life [13].…”

“…At the same time, activities in farm tourism, agritourism, and rural tourism allow social farmers to extend the tourism season, attracting new clients, improving quality standards, and gaining a stable source of income [52], besides contributing to the maintenance of rural landscapes [13,41]. From a consumption-based perspective, recent studies from Calabrò et al [43] point out that networking enables the creation of multiple ad hoc services allowing visitors to base their decisions on their wishes and choices rather than having to choose among very few options.…”

“…These research questions are addressed in the context of social farming, a social entrepreneurial activity that uses agricultural resources to provide social and working opportunities to disadvantaged people [12]. Even though the literature on social farming tourism only recently emerged, it has already clarified the significant impact of tourism activities for fair, sustainable, and inclusive rural growth [13].…”