Cooperativa Nosso Fruto and solidarity economy: Learnings and challenges

Abstract

This article aims to study the relationship between the assumptions of solidarity economy and its understanding, focusing on the case of the Cooperativa Nosso Fruto of Criciúma, SC, Brazil. Nosso Fruto is characterized by the fact of being a decentralized cooperative that represents a new organizational model. It stands in contrast to a traditional cooperative model, mainly because its formation does not need a physical space or a large investment in capital, since its members use their own properties to produce, while assigning the cooperative the task of organizing and collectively formalizing the production and marketing for the members. The paper studies whether the members of Nosso Fruto practice the assumptions of solidarity economy. The methodology used in the research project involved literature and fi eldwork with a qualitative approach. To reach the objectives, 20 of the 81 members of the Nosso Fruto cooperative were interviewed. The results show that this cooperative model promotes the socioeconomic development of the family farmers, providing a bett er quality of life and allowing them to continue living in rural areas. It can be seen that even without understanding formally the assumptions of solidarity economy, these assumptions have been practiced among the members.

Keywords: solidarity economy, cooperative, decentralized cooperatives.