Social farming at the intersection of spirituality, well-being, and human health: a qualitative inquiry

Abstract

It has been reported many times that nature-based connections enhance human well-being, represented by a balanced physical, psychological, and social well-being. Nonetheless, the spiritual dimension is increasingly considered as an integral component of human well-being. Social farming as one of the forms of nature-based interventions represents approach to social work in both urban and rural spaces, rooted in the fields of informal social care, social prevention, supported employment, and community social work. This study examines, using semi-structured in-depth interviews (N = 45), the ways social farming influences humans' spiritual needs, as presented by John Fisher. The interviews indicate that the practice of social farming fosters an environment where human spirituality is expressed across all four dimensions-personal, communal, ecological, and transcendental. Findings suggest that when appropriately facilitated, natural and agricultural environments can cultivate the spiritual dimension of the individual and, consequently, enhance the complexity of human well-being. It can also further bridge the research on eco-spirituality and environmental social work.