Inclusive labour-oriented social farming involving people with disabilities

People with disabilities (PwDs) still face numerous barriers in accessing desirable and meaningful work opportunities. ‘Social farming’ is the use of agricultural resources to support disadvantaged populations and has been gaining attention as a means of creating inclusive communities. While the literature addresses the benefits of social farming in care and educational settings, labour-oriented social farming, which is centred more on work provision and vocational training, remains largely overlooked. By examining two labour-oriented social farms in Japan for people with severe disabilities, this study aimed to identify strategies for creating an inclusive work environment involving PwDs. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews with 14 farm staff members were conducted, followed by a thematic analysis of key staff attitudes and practices. Overall, staff from the case study farms reported positive experiences involving PwDs in various agricultural work environments, including vineyards, vegetable fields, poultry farms, and bottling/packing houses. Procedural and interpersonal practices were implemented to strengthen teamwork and foster professionalism among PwDs. The staff viewed work as a means of fostering a sense of belonging and pride among PwDs. To ensure the long-term participation of PwDs, the staff diversified their tasks and work sites to accommodate job readjustment. Our findings highlight that Japanese labour-oriented social farming integrates manual labour not only to enhance the quality and value of agricultural products but also to implement a vocational, strengths-based framework that accommodates a wide range of disabilities, including severe ones.