A Territorial-Driven Approach to Capture the Transformative Momentum of the Social Economy Especially from the Agricultural Cooperatives

Juan Ramón Gallego-Bono,Mariar Tapia-Baranda

doi:10.3390/agriculture11121281

Juan Ramón Gallego-Bono, Mariar Tapia-Baranda

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11121281

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Journal: Agriculture	Publication Date: Dec 16, 2021
Citations: 2	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Valencia, Tecnológico de Monterrey

Abstract

In the last few lustrums, the literature has searched for more precise methods to assess the socio-economic importance of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). On that basis, this article offers a new way of assessing the SSE impact, enhancing the understanding of the SSE potential for socio-economic transformation. An evolutionary micro–meso–macro and territorial theoretical framework is developed, utilizing, along with the assistance of a qualitative methodology, studies on the transformation promoted by the SSE on the sugar cane cluster of Veracruz (Mexico). The main results of the article are that the SSE boost beneficiaries, while the protagonists of the transformation cannot be defined a priori, but are rather conformed by transformation vectors promoted by the SSE: their values shared by a wide spectrum of actors, the SSE socio-economic and organizational specificities, and their rooting in the productive system. The fundamental conclusion of the article is the need for a “territorial-driven approach” of the SSE’s impact, compared to the dominant “stakeholder-driven approach”. The main limitations (and suggestions for future studies) are the empirical investigation of a single case, and the need to develop a qualitative and quantitative system of indicators of the transformative drive of SSE.

Highlights

In recent decades, an extensive literature has been developed to explain how to value and measure the socioeconomic importance of SSE (Social and Solidarity Economy) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
We have considered that analyzing the potential for transformation that SSE may possess, is not separate from the socio-economic structures in a social formation
The VC of sugarcane extends to consumers in the countries that make up the United States–Mexico– Canada Agreement (USMCA), but sugar production in this region is sold as a commodity, without adding more value to the GVC

Summary

Introduction

An extensive literature has been developed to explain how to value and measure the socioeconomic importance of SSE (Social and Solidarity Economy) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. The analysis underlying the SSE, measured in these terms, is very important, especially when its evolution over time is analyzed, showing some highly relevant dynamic aspects such as its greater resilience than capitalist companies when faced with crises, measured, for example, by their greater ability to maintain employment or production [8,9]. Nowadays, this way of measuring the significance of the SSE is only an indication that does not allow us to capture other aspects that acquire great importance in the projection of the SSE within the whole socio-economic system. To capture and measure this transformation potential, we need to understand how it contributes to, and drives, change on the path of socio-economic development

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion