Nature for Health, Well-being and Social Inclusion

Green Care initiatives respond to health care challenges while also providing opportunities for new businesses and green jobs, sustainable management of natural resources and enhanced cross-sectorial cooperation and innovation. The EU Blueprint on Green Care, published by the Green4C project, brings together four different growing sectors – Forest-based care, Social agriculture, Urban green care and Green care tourism – and reports on the opportunities and challenges for supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in this sector. It builds on the Stakeholder and Training Needs Assessment and the in-depth analysis of innovation and entrepreneurship across 20 Green Care Initiatives in the four Green4C thematic sectors (Background report EU Blueprint on Green Care). It summarises the results of the analysis using the Green Care Innovation System Framework and provides a set of recommendations that aim to centre policy on the role of ecosystem services for health, well-being and social inclusion, for different target stakeholders.

This EU blueprint on Green Care builds on the work carried out through the stakeholder and training needs assessment by addressing the need to understand opportunities and challenges for Green Care initiatives. This is done by analysing innovation and entrepreneurship in Green Care and exploring the supporting innovation system in four different thematic sectors in Europe. The analysis looks at triggers, points of strength and weaknesses of Green Care innovation and business development and capitalises on the extensive research experience of the project partners. The Blueprint is an important knowledge tool for all involved stakeholders containing recommendations that aim to centre policy on the role of ecosystem services for health, well-being and social inclusion.

Title:
EU Blueprint on Green Care: Nature for Health, Well-being and Social Inclusion.

Reference:
Erasmus+ Green4C project, Deliverable 3.3: EU Blueprint on Green Care, www.greenforcare.com

Authors:
Mammadova, A., O’Driscoll C., Burlando C., Doimo, I., Pettenella, D. (2021).

Contributors:
Monika Humer, Dominik Mühlberger and Barbara Öllerer (BFW), Deirdre O’Connor (UCD), Marjolein Elings (WUR), Siebe Briers, Rik De Vreese and Christiane Düring (EFI), Tahia Devisscher and Matilda van den Bosch (UBC), Elena Petronela Candrea and Sergiu-Constantin Florea (Forest Design), Carmen Buzea (UNITBV), Georgia Bertagna Libera and Laura Secco (UNIPD), Stephanie Kirwan (Meath Partnership), Eline Borsboom (Elevate Health), Francesca Cirulli and Marta Borgi (ISS).

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