Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 1.6 Flower market
Bruges, Belgium
(Cameron 2014b ; Curtin and Fox 2014 ; Lohr and Relf 2014 ). These green open
spaces, which are more often associated with our urban communities, are usually
their only possible sources of connection with the natural world and need effective
management (Baycan-Levent et al. 2002 ) (Fig. 1.8 ).
Social Horticulture is the newest dimension of horticulture and one which is
gaining considerable credibility. Plants used in horticulture provide important so-
cial and human health services (Bird 2003 ; Lohr and Relf 2014 ) in addition to their
environmental and ecological values (Kollin 2003 ; Moore 2009 ). Horticulture and
its products improve physical health, reduce obesity, diminish the risk from chronic
disease, improve the immune system, increase life expectancy, and reduce blood
pressure in humans (Ulrich 1999 ; Bird 2007 ). Researchers such as Konijnendijk
et al. ( 2013 ), Kendle and Stoneham ( 2014 ) and Lohr and Relf ( 2014 ), provide
greater detail of these benefits to the community in this Trilogy. The model which
integrates horticulture and health care was developed for example by Relf ( 2006 ) as
a result of wide ranging research (Relf 1981 , 1992 , 1999 ; Relf and Kwack 2004 ).
This links economic, environmental, social and health benefits with a culture of sus-
tainable development (Jafari and Fayos-Sola 1996 ; Kidd 2005 ; Lohr and Relf 1993 ;
Shoemaker et al. 2000 ). In many developed countries there is an obese population
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