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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2017; 7(4); 31; doi: 10.3390/ani7040031

Green Care: A Review of the Benefits and Potential of Animal-Assisted Care Farming Globally and in Rural America.

Abstract: The term Green Care includes therapeutic, social or educational interventions involving farming; farm animals; gardening or general contact with nature. Although Green Care can occur in any setting in which there is interaction with plants or animals, this review focuses on therapeutic practices occurring on farms. The efficacy of care farming is discussed and the broad utilization of care farming and farm care communities in Europe is reviewed. Though evidence from care farms in the United States is included in this review, the empirical evidence which could determine its efficacy is lacking. For example, the empirical evidence supporting or refuting the efficacy of therapeutic horseback riding in adults is minimal, while there is little non-equine care farming literature with children. The health care systems in Europe are also much different than those in the United States. In order for insurance companies to cover Green Care techniques in the United States, extensive research is necessary. This paper proposes community-based ways that Green Care methods can be utilized without insurance in the United States. Though Green Care can certainly be provided in urban areas, this paper focuses on ways rural areas can utilize existing farms to benefit the mental and physical health of their communities.
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Publication Date: 2017-04-13 PubMed ID: 28406428PubMed Central: PMC5406676DOI: 10.3390/ani7040031Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article explores the concept of ‘Green Care’, which refers to therapeutic, educational, or social interactions involving farm animals, farming, or general contact with nature. However, there’s a research gap in understanding its efficacy, especially in non-European contexts, leading the authors to propose community-based, insurance-free applications of Green Care in rural American settings.

Understanding Green Care

  • The authors introduce ‘Green Care’ as a concept that comprises a variety of therapeutic, social, or educational interventions. These activities involve interaction with farming, farm animals, gardening, or general contact with nature. The authors note that while Green Care can occur in any setting that allows interaction with animals or plants, their review is specifically focused on therapeutic practices on farms.

Efficacy and Global Use of Green Care

  • The paper discusses the efficacy – or effectiveness – of care farming and reviews its broad usage primarily within Europe. However, it points out that the empirical evidence supporting its efficacy in the United States is lacking. As an example, it mentions that there’s minimal empirical proof to support or dismiss the efficacy of therapeutic horseback riding in adults. Furthermore, the study reveals a significant dearth in non-equine care farming literature concerning children.

Health Care Systems and Green Care

  • Considering the differences in health care systems between Europe and the United States, the authors assert a need for extensive research on Green Care. Particularly, the authors highlight that for health insurance companies in the United States to offer coverage for Green Care techniques, it is imperative to establish its efficacy scientifically.

Community-based Application of Green Care in Rural America

  • Recognizing the challenges and economic hurdles, the paper proposes various community-based ways that Green Care methods can be applied without reliance on insurance in the United States. Furthermore, it argues that rural America can leverage existing farms to benefit their communities’ mental and physical health through Green Care. Despite the fact that Green Care can certainly benefit urban dwellers, this paper is devoted to investigating how these methods can be specifically utilized in rural settings.

Cite This Article

APA
Artz B, Bitler Davis D. (2017). Green Care: A Review of the Benefits and Potential of Animal-Assisted Care Farming Globally and in Rural America. Animals (Basel), 7(4), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040031

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 4
PII: 31

Researcher Affiliations

Artz, Brianna
  • Psychology Department, Mail Stop 3F5, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. bartz@gmu.edu.
Bitler Davis, Doris
  • Psychology Department, Mail Stop 3F5, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. dbitler@gmu.edu.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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