L'agricoltura come strumento di welfare. Le nuove frontiere dei servizi dell'agricoltura sociale

The Law no. 141/2015 on Social Farming laid down a national definition of welfare activities carried out in rural areas, pointing out their content (recreational and educational activities, services for families, healthcare services, integration of disabled workers) as well as the legal entities involved in them (agricultural business and social cooperatives). Thus, the law make a change to the activities qualifying agricultural business, for the purpose of article 2135 Civil Code. It follows, that Italian legislation widens the framework of the public goods production made by farms, recognising a further step of multifunctional agriculture: the welfare services. Among the rules aimed at encourage social farming, the article focuses on instruments related to agricultural food production, enhancing agricultural products on the market through their ethical value. Since the entry into force of the national law, promotional measures could be lawfully implemented by regional legislation, whereas several Regions already provided a legal framework aimed at funding agricultural welfare activities.