This article was first published on September the 10^th, 2007.

Emerging Social Issues in the Smallholder Target Group

A major aspect of the work of the Smallholder Initiative recently has been assisting households with social as well as economic concerns. Over the last year the Development Officers have increasingly been dealing with more households whose chief concerns revolve around social issues such as housing, social welfare, isolation, security, meals on wheels, etc.

As many members of the smallholder target group tend to be in older age categories, is this an issue that will become more prevalent and if so, should the service be focusing more on this area, in the future?

The core aim of the Smallholder Initiative is to help address the impact of farm income decline and help improve the circumstances of households with the small farm target group. For certain families that means getting training to get a job, help in setting up a new enterprise or looking at alternative farm enterprises, but for other members of the target group progression means getting essential housing repairs completed, accessing meals on wheels, getting all their social welfare & HSE entitlements, socialising within their communities, etc. To this sector, these issues are as important as having a more efficient or profitable farm or getting an off-farm job, as it leads to a better quality of life for them.

Like all services, the Smallholder Initiative needs to be ready to adapt to changing circumstances. It is my belief that social concerns, such as those described will become more prominent over the coming years and the service may need to be adopted to cater for this need. We hope to address this further, in consultation with stakeholders, when drafting our new strategic plan.

Michael Donohoe
Agricultural / Rural Development Officer
County Monaghan Partnership