Educational farms in the Emilia-Romagna region: their role in food habit education

Educational Farms are farms which offer educational tours to visitors so that they can get to know specific information concerning agriculture, the environment and nutrition. These enterprises are involved in activities which complement their main work, which can bring benefits, including economic ones, to them as entrepreneurs, as well as having important social value. The objective of this paper is to present an authentic local example of this: the Italian Emilia-Romagna region, where Educational farms are particularly widespread and supported by the public administration. In particular, it highlights the role played by the Educational Farms regarding food habits and discusses the relationship between the enterprise’s educational function and business strategies. This analysis is an attempt to view the above from a marketing point of view, highlighting its features and reporting on potential factors to consider regarding improvement and development strategies. After a brief description of the general situation, we present data available from Regional sources as well as from surveys conducted by private entities and by DEIAgra, processed directly. The educational farms’ role in regional education policies regarding food consumption will be highlighted. Finally we offer some considerations concerning possible analysis in accordance with the framework of the marketing concept.