Welfare & social farming
Social farming links growing with employment support, preventive care and creating places to belong. It pairs naturally with public programmes and grants, which often makes for stable operations.
186 cases
Key takeaways
- 186 cases link to welfare or elderly care.
- Stability comes from pairing sales with public funding and contracts.
- Small, divisible tasks and low-cost land keep people involved.
What the data shows
Common models include disability employment offices that handle growing, processing and sales, and elderly preventive-care or purpose-of-life programmes run with municipalities and welfare councils. Breaking tasks into small steps so anyone can take part is key to both access and continuity.
Sales alone rarely add up; combining them with public welfare reimbursements, grants and contracts is the realistic path. Land is often held through free loans or permits, keeping initial costs low.
Representative cases
See related cases →Kibera Sack Gardening
KENairobi, Kenya
Vertical sack gardening spreading through Nairobi's large Kibera settlement, where residents grow kale and spinach in soil-filled bags in densely packed areas with no farmland.
foodsystemsjournal.org+4
Abalimi Bezekhaya
ZACape Town, South Africa
Founded in 1982, this Cape Town non-profit supports small-scale citizen farming in the townships. True to its name 'farmers of the home', it provides training and supplies so residents of poor areas can grow organic vegetables, underpinning food security and livelihoods.
abalimibezekhaya.org.za+4
Seseragi Community Garden (Machi no Namagomi Ikashi-tai)
JPHino, Japan
A community garden in Hino City, Tokyo, started by citizens who believe 'kitchen waste is a treasure.' It collects and composts the kitchen waste of around 200 households and grows vegetables and flowers pesticide-free as a food-cycle garden. Naomi Shimpo studied its management and governance in detail in her 2021 and 2024 papers.
acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com+3
Farm Africa Addis Ababa Urban Agriculture Pilot
ETAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
A 15-month urban agriculture pilot run in 2022 by Farm Africa with Ethiopia's Ministry of Planning and Development, aiming to improve the incomes, nutrition and food security of 100 low-income households in Addis Ababa.
farmafrica.org+2
Related research
Growing Greener Cities
FAO's programme on urban and peri-urban agriculture, presenting a framework to support city food production for food security, jobs, environment and nutrition.
FAO · 2010 · Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The Socio-Cultural Benefits of Urban Agriculture: A Review of the Literature
A systematic review of 272 peer-reviewed publications drawing on urban-agriculture sites in 57 countries, organizing socio-cultural benefits into four domains: cohesive communities, health and well-being, economic opportunities, and education. Community connection and learning emerged as the most frequently reported benefits.
Ilieva R.T., Cohen N., Israel M. et al. · 2022 · Land (MDPI), 11(5):622
Community gardens and their effects on diet, health, psychosocial and community outcomes: a systematic review
A systematic review synthesizing 53 eligible studies. Community garden participation was positively associated with fruit and vegetable intake and several psychosocial and community outcomes, though effects on physical health indicators were mixed.
Hume C., Grieger J.A., Kalamkarian A. et al. · 2022 · BMC Public Health, 22:1247
How Does Urban Farming Benefit Participants' Health? A Case Study of Allotments and Experience Farms in Tokyo
A cross-sectional study comparing 783 urban-farming participants with 1,254 non-participants in Tokyo. Participants in both allotment and experience-farm programs reported significantly better self-rated and mental health, highlighting the health value of regular social interaction in urban farming.
Harada K., Hino K., Iida A. et al. · 2021 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), 18(2):542
Community gardens as local learning environments in social housing contexts: participant perceptions of enhanced wellbeing and community connection
A mixed-methods study of 42 social-housing residents across six new community garden sites in Sydney. Participants reported greater health and wellbeing awareness, new interest in growing fresh food, shared produce and recipes, happiness, and frequent socialization and community connectedness.
Gray T., Tracey D., Truong S. et al. · 2022 · Local Environment, 27(5):570-585