Involvement of the academic world in the challenges and strategies of the social and solidarity economy in Latin America

By Marietta Bucheli
Director of the Specialisation in Management of Social and Solidarity Economy Enterprises,
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota
Directive of CIRIEC Colombia

In Latin America, there are many different interpretations of the social and solidarity economy, the organisations that make it up, and the regulatory framework that defines them. There are three types of organisations belonging to this economy: a. cooperatives (of different types), mutual societies and trade unions; b. foundations, associations and philanthropic entities, among others; c. organisations of an informal nature, in many cases emerging from marginalised sectors and in response to the capitalist economy.

In the latter category, some countries include the popular economy, both in legislation and in the processes of social and economic practices (Martí et al., in Cepal, 2023: 58-61).

Support to the SSE in terms of strengthening, promotion and protection is provided with the participation of the academic world, various public authorities, research institutes and the organisations themselves that are part of this economy, among others. Understanding of this economy is achieved through research, advice and consultation in various fields that explain how these organisations transform the economy; these research processes produce methodologies, concepts and innovations on subjects that contribute to the understanding of the SSE. In some Latin American countries, educational institutions offer university programmes in the social and solidarity economy, as well as technical learning and higher education services in the form of specialisations, master’s degrees and doctorates, as well as various networks of universities such as Rulescoop, Unicosol, Oibescoop, CIRIEC (by country).

At the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024, various platforms supporting local and global development were brought together under the name of Economies for Life (Ecoovida) (concept proposed by Mora Jiménez, Henry M., Hinkelammert, Franz J, 2005). Following the COP 16 meetings, an International Pact for Economies for Life was proposed, covering topics specific to local and regional development.

In addition to the bodies that participated in Ecoovida, various university networks were present with their own proposals, concluding that COP 16 made it possible to highlight the link between the SSE and environmental transitions, where the cooperative enterprise plays a fundamental role as an ideal entity for maintaining environmental projects.

A clear example of cooperatives and the environment is illustrated by the experience, in Colombia, of the Canapro cooperative – Cooperativa Casa Nacional del Profesor – a multi-activity cooperative created by upper secondary school teachers in Colombia (+50,000 members) and with assets of almost 150 million dollars. The cooperative manages the environmental project based on commercial reforestation and forest restoration through the certification of carbon credits, eliminating 297,261 tonnes of CO2e verified for the period 2011-2020. The cooperative is participating in a larger-scale project, the Grouped Project for Commercial Forest Plantations Initiatives in the Department of Vichada, which spans a period of 30 years and will end in 2041. Canapro is a good example among many other experiences in Colombia and other Latin American countries that must be understood and protected in their specificity and contribute to their sustainability and development. This is supported by maintaining the specificity of the SSE in the intellectual debate and in the understanding of the political authorities.

The CIRIEC Colombia association encompasses various proposals in favour of the social and solidarity economy. In February 2025, it counted four institutions and 31 individual members; its main objective is to contribute to the development of the territories and the public, social and solidarity economy.

The objective is achieved through teamwork that includes:

1. virtual discussions on topics to be addressed at the annual symposium
2. VIII Coloquio, to be held on 25, 26 and 27 August 2025. The proposed themes are: narratives and discourses of the social and solidarity economy; measuring cooperative action; growth of the SSE; international year of cooperatives; emerging experiences and new actors; application of new technologies to the SSE; environmental and cooperative transitions.
3. Documentation and publications: publish the journal CIRIEC Colombia; publish a newsletter in agreement with Coomeva; continue to publish the online encyclopaedia of cooperative law written by Professor Alberto García-Müller (1945-2024) in collaboration with the Ibero-American Civil Association of Cooperative, Mutual and Social and Solidarity Economy Law. More broadly, professors linked to CIRIEC Colombia have published scientific articles and book chapters [1], some in collaboration with researchers from other CIRIEC national sections. The texts highlight the participation of associations and cooperatives in environmental and territorial transformation proposals, gender and cooperatives, and other topics.
4. Inter-institutional relations, CIRIEC Colombia will support the academic programme of the Latin American event of Pensamiento Cooperativo (26-28 June 2025, Santa Marta, Colombia), an event organised by Fensecoop – National Federation of Cooperatives in the Colombian Education Sector. In 2024, professors from universities linked to CIRIEC Colombia participated in the creation of the Ibero-American Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy[2]. Professor Juan Fernando Álvarez, director of the specialisation in management of social and solidarity economy enterprises (Javeriana University) and member of the International Scientific Council of CIRIEC, will join the technical working group on the ‘Measurement of the economic contribution of cooperatives and social and solidarity economy statistics of the United Nations (TWG-MECC)’ from 2025.

For their part, the university programmes and professors of the universities of CIRIEC Colombia contribute to programmes such as the Pan-Amazonian Jesuit Service and the Association of Jesuit Universities with the aim of founding the social and solidarity economy network, of associating with the Prodepaz network with leaders of vulnerable communities and of carrying out multiple activities with students linked to the research incubators in social and solidarity economy.

In conclusion, we continue to work together to maintain the presence and activity of the SSE.

References

Martí J-P., Radrigán, M., Borge, D., Jácome, H., Pereira L., Bucheli, M., Rojas, J, Schujman, M (2023) 45-64. In: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Revista CEPAL, No. 140 (LC/PUB.2023/15-P), Santiago, 2023.

Mora Jiménez, Henry M., Hinkelammert, Franz J./ Vers une économie de la vie. Henry M. Mora Jiménez, Franz J. Hinkelammert —1st ed.— San José, Costa Rica: DEI, 2005. 427 p.; 17 cm. (Collection Économie-Théologie).

[1] Some articles can be consulted at: https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa. v18n12-064; https://doi.org/10.56238/arev6n4-123; https://www.uhu. es/publicaciones/ojs/index.php/RIESISE/article/view/8343; https://doi.org/10.5585/2024. 23,702; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52656-5_4; https://www.oibescoop.org/wp-content/uploads/ES-y-Solidaria-y-Genero.pdf

[2] Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Guatemala and Mexico.