In Europe, Social Farming (SF) and agritourism are multifunctional agriculture activities that arise when agricultural land is abandoned in rural and peri-urban areas; it is difficult to develop commercial agriculture if it is not intensive. In our research, we studied SF in Catalonia, carrying out a census and classification of 161 initiatives and a more in-depth analysis of 10 projects (or 9 in some cases), identifying their viability and the economic, social, and environmental return on investment (SROI) for the resources used in each case. The methodology included questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and Canvas and SROI analyses. Although SF has developed in many European countries, it is incipient in the Iberian Peninsula. The projects in Catalonia combine agrarian activity, socio-health care and social policies, with the aim of offering innovative solutions to the needs of different groups at risk of social exclusion.

Nuevas actividades innovadoras han generado interacciones entre las áreas rurales de los Pirineos y Barcelona con ventaja para las actividades turísticas. El objetivo de este estudio es explorar la relación entre las actividades de valor añadido y el emprendimiento de las mujeres en proyectos económicos, sociales o políticos en áreas rurales y de montaña como en los Pirineos en Cataluña. La participación de las mujeres en cargos electos o gerenciales de la administración local favorece el emprendimiento. La metodología utilizada incluye una revisión bibliográfica, un análisis cuantitativo de las responsabilidades de las mujeres en la política local y 30 entrevistas semi-estructuradas, a mujeres y hombres implicados en el desarrollo local. La creación o transformación de actividades de valor añadido ha generado micro-empresas y autoempleo. Las conclusiones muestran la importancia de las relaciones sociales, tanto de estructura transversal como vertical. En territorios con población dispersa, las pequeñas iniciativas de emprendedores tienen una importancia relativa pero significativa que deben ser apoyadas por la administración.

Social Farming (SF) is an emerging sector in the rural European context, but the European Economic and Social Committee (2013/C 44/07) emphasizes that SF should be planned and implemented under the new 2014-20 rural development policy because of the positive results obtained. The SF concept can be associated with agriculture as a multifunctional activity, giving agricultural practice new meanings and functions and incorporating social services, medical treatment and rehabilitation, and educational training and support. In addition, agriculture must be considered as a means of employment and social integration for groups as diverse as individuals who are unemployed or living with mental retardation, mental disorders, or addictions, among others. As a result, innovative SF activities are contributing to the social economy, rural and regional development, and support for a new agro-social paradigm. These are mainly activities linked with the endogenous resources of the territory that generate new enterprises, together with complementary activities that consolidate an economic network as the basis for regional development.