Challenges of digitization in the social economy in times of pandemic: the evolution of online presence and e-commerce in agri-food cooperatives

Abstract

Online presence is essential for companies operating in the social economy. The health crisis resulting from Covid-19 has reinforced the need to access the Internet and develop online commerce. This paper analyses the online presence of Catalan agricultural cooperatives, their level of maturity in the development of e-commerce and the changes that have occurred during the years characterized by the restrictions resulting from the pandemic. To this end, content analysis and the eMICA methodology (Extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption) were used to study the websites of various Catalan agricultural cooperatives. The model was applied to 104 cooperatives with an online presence in 2022, and the results were compared to a previous study conducted in 2018. The results indicate that although cooperatives have improved their online presence, especially in relation to online commerce, there is still much room for optimal interaction with their target audience. The pandemic and resulting restrictions on mobility forced a rapid deployment of e-commerce, often without sufficiently developing the interactivity of websites. The circumstances within the sample are varied, with wine cooperatives being the most mature in their use of e-commerce compared to olive oil and fruit cooperatives. The latter are the most deficient in their online presence and e-commerce development.