Description
There is a lack of knowledge and experience according to the operation of social farms in Hungary. For people who are living on the edges of society, the integration means a problem that can be handled by a farm-type work community. The objective is to clarify the unsolved legal issues about social farm initiatives, also to establish their status in the social-economic sector. A path will be available for civics in order to reach Hungarian and EU development- it aims to initiate dialogue with the law-makers and to support the launch of countryside civic initiations that are sustainable. A webpage will be created to communicate about the project. The development of a law-amending lobby material will be carried out by a work group of experts in order to evolve the legal framework according to social farms, professional publications and operation of Social Farm Association. The development of the syllabus of social-farms will be constructed, accreditation, and an intensive training will be implemented. Study trips will be organized for the members of target group who live in extreme poverty in the country-side (at least 3250 persons) to Germany and Norway.
Summary of project results
There was no legal and financial structure or sustainable solution for development of socially disadvantaged groups. Small civil initiatives are not able to reach sustainability by themselves. In the past few decades social farms were set up in some countries as successful links between social and agricultural areas. Norway was the first to develop strategies for social farms. Symbiosis Foundation aimed at adapting good practices and developing the legal and financial support structure of Hungarian social farms in the civil sector in the frame of this project. The organizers involved several partners from different fields and they aimed to activate local organizations through regional workshops. They also developed a website (
www.szocialisfarm.hu) to share knowledge; set up the national Social Farm Association; developed educational materials on social farming; organized two trainings for 30 people and a country-level conference; and started intensive dialogue with relevant Ministries so as to launch legislation procedure for social farms in Hungary. The project was successful in introducing the concept of social farms in Hungary, such kinds of foreign experiences were transferred to Hungary which helped to create a more united knowledge base about the care farms, and thus in this way the project promoter has significantly contributed to launch the set up of care farms in Hungary. As a result of the obby activities of the project promoter, care farms became the part of state strategy, and in 2016 two bigger EU Funds were dedicated to support the objectives of care farms. 5 ministries were actively worked on the concept of care farms based on the study elaborated in the project. The Hungarian Social Farms Alliance was established with 22 organizations’ active involvement and due to this, the project has contributed to improve the wellbeing of marginalized, socially excluded people, living in deep poverty indirectly.
Summary of bilateral results