The concept of social prescribing has been around for some time - "Farming's Value to Society", the report we co-sponsored for the Oxford Farming Conference back in 2013, recognised it as an area to develop. It's the idea that an individual's mental and physical health can be enhanced by exposure to nature, and that people should be offered such access, potentially instead of (or as well as) more medicinal treatments.
And it seems to slowly be gaining momentum. But what does it mean for a landowner, and (putting it bluntly) can it be monetised?
Yes. We are aware of pilot schemes that are doing just that. These schemes often involve providing more than just access, so activity/training/mentoring as well. But from a high-level, this is simply another form of diversification, and one that brings together two growing areas - the health benefits of nature and broader access to and involvement with rural land.
Like all diversifications, doing it properly always involves a red-tape burden (which in fairness intrying to ensure people are safe and protected) but for the right land, with the right people involved, this is part of a likely diversification mix in future.
We recommend that the farming industry, government and the voluntary sector form partnerships to develop innovative approaches to catalyse and facilitate greater use of farmland as contexts for encountering nature and green exercise [Farming's Value to Society - Carruthers, Winter, Evans, 2013]