Social farming for vulnerable groups in the rural areas in Eskişehir (SAR)

Description

Many people in rural areas are vulnerable due to limited access to public services, with seasonal agricultural workers and their children facing particularly challenging conditions. The specific aim of this case study is to improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups in rural areas, while its broader goal is to support the retention of rural communities. As the status of women, children, and young people plays a key role in decision-making processes, SERIGO selected two initiatives which addresses these groups through targeted social policies:

1st Initiative: This initiative supports approximately 50 women producers in winter and 100 in summer, enabling them to sell their products at designated sales points. This not only generates income but also provides opportunities for socialisation. They also receive training in sustainable food production, marketing, children’s rights, women’s rights, inheritance law, and cooperatives.

2nd Initiative: This collaborative project, involving local, national, and international partners, offers an online tool accessible to multiple public actors. It targets a highly vulnerable group, seasonal agricultural workers, who must relocate for various agricultural tasks throughout the year. These workers often lack proper housing, access to health services, and educational opportunities for their children during their stays in different rural areas across the country. The project aims to improve the working and living conditions of seasonal agricultural workers and their families, ensuring they have access to all necessary public services.

Aim

Through these two initiatives, the SAR case study explores how social innovation can improve the status of women in rural areas. It also identifies the social policies needed to improve seasonal agricultural workers’ conditions.