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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Public Health Reviews

Care farming with older people in Europe: policy insights for public health and agriculture on providing care services on farms

  • Iren Bischofberger1
  • Susann Goerlinger2
  • Mollie Chapman1
  1. 1Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, Transdisciplinarity Lab (TdLab), ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
  2. 2iilo GmbH, Zürich, Switzerland
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Abstract

Background: Care farming in Europe, traditionally provided to children and youth with intellectual disabilities, expands to serve older adults due to demographic shifts, providing an alternative to nursing homes and helping farms diversify for sustained businesses. There is a lack of policies which systematically interweave the public health and agricultural sectors. The article provides policy insights for informed decision-making in this transformation.

Analysis: Care farming with older adults involves activities like feeding animals or preparing meals showing positive effects on physical, emotional, and cognitive health, including with dementia, and contrasts sharply with the history of abuse tied to involuntary farm placements.

Policy Options: For intersectoral complexity, a transdisciplinary approach allows to integrate diverse stakeholders across health and agriculture. Policymakers facilitate dialogue to align objectives like production goals versus care farming services.

Conclusion: Sustainable policies must acknowledge complex intersectoral influences by systematically collaborating between health and agriculture sectors through a transdisciplinary approach. Robust practices and models are vital for heterogeneous populations aged 65 and older. A mindset of experimentation and integration among stakeholders supports implementing care farming in a graying society.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{bischofberger2026care,
  title = {{Care farming with older people in Europe: policy insights for public health and agriculture on providing care services on farms}},
  author = {Iren Bischofberger and Susann Goerlinger and Mollie Chapman},
  journal = {Public Health Reviews},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/phrs.2026.1609528},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2026.1609528},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Care farming with older people in Europe: policy insights for public health and agriculture on providing care services on farms
AU  - Iren Bischofberger
AU  - Susann Goerlinger
AU  - Mollie Chapman
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
JO  - Public Health Reviews
DO  - 10.3389/phrs.2026.1609528
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2026.1609528
AB  - Background: Care farming in Europe, traditionally provided to children and youth with intellectual disabilities, expands to serve older adults due to demographic shifts, providing an alternative to nursing homes and helping farms diversify for sustained businesses. There is a lack of policies which systematically interweave the public health and agricultural sectors. The article provides policy insights for informed decision-making in this transformation.  Analysis: Care farming with older adults involves activities like feeding animals or preparing meals showing positive effects on physical, emotional, and cognitive health, including with dementia, and contrasts sharply with the history of abuse tied to involuntary farm placements.  Policy Options: For intersectoral complexity, a transdisciplinary approach allows to integrate diverse stakeholders across health and agriculture. Policymakers facilitate dialogue to align objectives like production goals versus care farming services.  Conclusion: Sustainable policies must acknowledge complex intersectoral influences by systematically collaborating between health and agriculture sectors through a transdisciplinary approach. Robust practices and models are vital for heterogeneous populations aged 65 and older. A mindset of experimentation and integration among stakeholders supports implementing care farming in a graying society.
SN  - 0301-0422
SN  - 2107-6952
ER  -