Piloting & Social Farming discussed at Europe

Piloting update

Following on a number of consultative and network events in recent months we finalised our application process and circulated application forms to all Farmers / Farm Families who had registered an ‘Expression of Interest’ with the project since commencement.

We have had a strong return of completed applications and are currently working with twenty five farmers with a view to selecting twenty of these for our Piloting phase.

Thank you to all those who participated in our Pilot application process. There will be much to be learned through the Network in the coming months from our experiences with these Pilots.

European Economic and Social Committee

The following is an extract from a report published by the European Economic and Social Committee

"On 19 January 2012, the European Economic and Social Committee, acting under Rule 29(2) of its Rules of Procedure, decided to draw up an own-initiative opinion on

Social farming: green care and social and health policies.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 22 November 2012.

At its 485th plenary session, held on 12 and 13 December 2012 (meeting of 12 December), the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 124 votes with 3 abstentions. "

A full copy of this report is available on our website - see Resources and then Reports.  European Economic & Social Committee Report