Agricolture and the social farm: expression of the multifunctional model of agricolture as a solution to the economic crisis in rural areas.

The aim of this paper is to portray the main features and characteristics of the social farms and to examine how these organizations can contribute to the definition and the implementation of new pathways of change in rural areas, providing several benefits for individual with specific needs and local community. This close analisys addresses conceptual issues useful to understanding the main activities and initiatives to better answer to the needs of different involved actors, such as individuals, farmers, and local community.