Overcoming marginalisation and mental distress through community supported agriculture: the Streccapogn experience in Monteveglio, Italy

In recent years we have been witnessing a surge of locally-sustained communities committed to promoting new ethical economies, while fostering the full participation of socially excluded groups and individuals into the labour market. This chapter explores the practices of a particular community care model, Streccapogn, as implemented in the non-traditional spatial settings of agriculture. Streccapogn is a local association founded in Monteveglio, Italy, with the aim of putting the Transition Towns (TT) movement’s ethos and Permaculture principles into practice, by involving a number of marginalized people such as migrants, prisoners, the unemployed, and people with different levels of mental distress in several community supported agricultural projects. The aim of this chapter is twofold. Firstly, we will illustrate how Permaculture and TT can be linked to the robust conceptual framework provided by Critical Community Psychology. Secondly, we will describe and critically reflect on the experiences of the participants involved in the Streccapogn initiative through detailed vignettes. These will be used to explore merits, limits, and future paths for the Streccapogn project as well as to reflect on the role of community psychologists working with grassroots community projects in times of austerity.