The TransForum workshop at the Pensa conference held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, attracted great attention.

The University of Sao Paulo intends to implement the Dutch Green Care model in Sao Paulo state, in modified form, together with farmers and health care organisations. The idea is to start with a pilot linking up with existing networks. This will offer the Dutch Green Care sector interesting opportunities to apply Dutch knowledge in Brazil. This was the outcome of the workshop held by TransForum on 27 November at the PENSA-conferentie in Sao Paulo

TransForum was invited by Professor Decio Zylbersztajn of the University of Sao Paulo, who is also a member of the TransForum International Advisory Board.

Zylbersztajn considers that Green Care can make an important contribution towards both welfare and agriculture in the metropolitan area of the state of Sao Paulo. Farmers in this area are being squeezed by urban encroachment, which is leading to rising land prices and making increases in scale more difficult. The urban areas in Sao Paulo suffer from serious social problems. During the workshop TransForum screened the film Green Care Amsterdam and outlined various care-agriculture business models, especially that of the Stichting Landzijde in the vicinity of Amsterdam.

Significant plus points for the workshop participants were:

• the new connection between urban dwellers and the green environment;

• the development of social cohesion;

• the new business model for care and agriculture.

Translating the Dutch model to the Brazilian situation will however require considerable adaptation:

• matters are on a much bigger scale in Brazil than in the Netherlands, with much bigger problems and distances;

• the healthcare financing system is different and for many people virtually non-existent.

The Landzijde “broker's model” bringing together care institutions, farmers, governments and clients, was an innovative eye-opener for those present and something new for Brazil.

More information may be found in the Paper green care