Commons, social capital, and the emergence of agricultural cooperatives in early twentieth century Spain

Abstract

The emergence of Spanish agricultural cooperatives from the end of the nineteenth century was a narrative of uneven regional development. It has been argued that the cooperative movement developed in areas where small and middle-sized farms were relatively important. This paper seeks to complement this explanation by analysing the role played by the pre-existing stock of social capital. The prior importance of institutions built around the use and management of collective resources is explored as an alternative proxy for social capital in pre-industrial economies. The results show that the social networks built around common lands and irrigation communities were a key element, together with relatively high levels of human capital and the existence of a wide layer of middle size farms, in facilitating the emergence of the cooperative movement in rural areas.