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Social Capital as an Input of Social Sustainability in Rural...
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Special Issue "Social Capital as an Input of Social Sustainability in Rural and Agricultural Cooperatives"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021).

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elena Pisani
E-Mail Website
SciProfiles
Guest Editor
Dep. “Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali” Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Interests: social innovation in rural areas; social capital; evaluation methods, tools and indicators; environmental network governance
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Julien Vanhulst
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Socialesy Economicas, Centro de Estudios Urbano-Territoriales Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile
Interests: sustainability; environmental governance; socio-environmental conflicts; alternative economies
Mr. Stefano Micheletti
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Center for Urban-Territorial Studies Universidad Católica del Maule, Av. San Miguel 3605, Talca, Maule, Chile
Interests: international migration in agrarian territories; effects of natural disasters in rural context; social capital

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, studies on social capital as an input to move toward social sustainability have opened up space for critical inquiry. Furthermore, scholars have also investigated the assessment and measure of social capital in different types of organizations through analytical, methodological, and conceptual tools.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to explore how social capital in rural and agricultural cooperatives helps to sustainably satisfy basic needs, capacities, and quality of life in communities. We welcome papers that analytically, theoretically, empirically, and methodologically explore the following research questions:

  • How can social capital contribute to social sustainability?
  • What are the contemporary approaches to social sustainability in rural and agricultural cooperatives?
  • How can social capital contribute to a better understanding of rural and agricultural cooperatives?
  • What are innovative indicators and approaches for the evaluation of social capital in rural and agricultural cooperatives?

Articles that include transnational research are encouraged. Additionally, articles focusing on the Global South are particularly welcome. Potential contributors are welcome to contact the Guest Editors to discuss the proposed submissions before 30 June 2020. The submission deadline is 30 September 2020.

Dr. Elena Pisani
Dr. Julien Vanhulst
Mr. Stefano Micheletti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Article
Bounded Rationality, Social Capital and Technology Adoption in Family Farming: Evidence from Cocoa-Tree Crops in Ivory Coast
by
Francesco Cordaro
and
Alain Desdoigts
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137483 - 05 Jul 2021
Viewed by 442
Abstract
In this paper, we allege that the hypothesis in favor of bounded rationality is a plausible explanation when it comes to better understanding the sluggish pace of adoption of best available tree crop farming techniques in poor small-scale rural communities. Our research builds [...] Read more.
In this paper, we allege that the hypothesis in favor of bounded rationality is a plausible explanation when it comes to better understanding the sluggish pace of adoption of best available tree crop farming techniques in poor small-scale rural communities. Our research builds on data collection and analysis of cocoa farming in Ivory Coast. Firstly, we find that the cognitive scarcity under which smallholder farmers make their decisions, in particular, satisficing behavior and fast and frugal heuristics, outweigh the scarcity of financial and human resources. Secondly, we show that the structure of the environment measured through various dimensions of social capital influences human rationality and decision-making. On the one hand, the greater smallholder farmers’ civic capital (solidarity, reciprocity, trustworthiness, cooperation), the more likely they are to modify their farming practices (p < 0.05) and, more specifically, to exchange information, learn, and eventually revise these practices. On the other hand, the greater the number of organizations the farmers participate in, the greater the probability of modifying their practices (p < 0.01). Information about farming techniques disseminates through weak bridging ties built within agricultural organizations (e.g., cooperatives, extension services) rather than through strong bonding ties between family or diaspora members. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital as an Input of Social Sustainability in Rural and Agricultural Cooperatives)
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Article
Social Capital as an Inclusion Tool from a Solidarity Finance Angle
by
Juanita Salinas
and
Susana Sastre-Merino
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7067; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137067 - 23 Jun 2021
Viewed by 836
Abstract
Within rural environments, the construction of financial ecosystems that both stimulate local development and contribute to poverty reduction requires an increase in associative community activity. Such activity serves as a fundamental means of organizing territorial production systems, reinforcing capacities, and strengthening the negotiating [...] Read more.
Within rural environments, the construction of financial ecosystems that both stimulate local development and contribute to poverty reduction requires an increase in associative community activity. Such activity serves as a fundamental means of organizing territorial production systems, reinforcing capacities, and strengthening the negotiating position of the population being offered financial services. Solidarity finance is important because it recognizes that collective action and criteria such as social efficiency, local capacities, cooperation, associativity, the social fabric, self-management, and resource recirculation are integral aspects of financial evaluation. Therefore, this research proposes a methodology to reinforce the financial service delivery of solidarity finance institutions through the evaluation of social capital in rural production organizations. Social capital is regarded as a resource of the organization’s constituents that can facilitate financial inclusion and generate value for rural populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital as an Input of Social Sustainability in Rural and Agricultural Cooperatives)
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Article
Societal Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Asian Rural Societies: A Multi-Sectoral Social Capital Approach in Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan
by
Istvan Rado
,
Mei-Fei Lu
,
I-Chen Lin
and
Ken Aoo
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2747; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052747 - 03 Mar 2021
Viewed by 923
Abstract
The agricultural sector in Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan is facing a number of interrelated crises, including aging producers, falling market prices, changing consumer preferences, and biodiversity degradation. Small-scale farmers in these three societies have engaged in diverse collaborative initiatives with actors from the [...] Read more.
The agricultural sector in Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan is facing a number of interrelated crises, including aging producers, falling market prices, changing consumer preferences, and biodiversity degradation. Small-scale farmers in these three societies have engaged in diverse collaborative initiatives with actors from the public, private, and third sectors to overcome these challenges. We illustrate these initiatives by combining the concept of societal entrepreneurship with a complex understanding of social capital. Given that these initiatives are formed in distinct ways across these societies, the paper aims to answer the following research questions: What is the nature of the relationships (expressed as types of social capital) underlying the processes of societal entrepreneurship? How does social capital contribute to sustainable community development? How does it facilitate the scaling up of solutions through multi-sectoral collaboration? Using a case study approach, we aim to explore multi-sector initiatives in each context in depth, before identifying common patterns and key drivers for collaboration through thematic analysis. We have found that distinct drivers are involved in each context due to different types of social capital, including solutions, advocacy, and reconciliation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital as an Input of Social Sustainability in Rural and Agricultural Cooperatives)
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Article
Cooperatives and Social Capital: A Narrative Literature Review and Directions for Future Research
by
Isabel Saz-Gil
,
Ignacio Bretos
and
Millán Díaz-Foncea
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020534 - 08 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 961
Abstract
How cooperatives generate and absorb social capital has attracted a great deal of attention due to the fact that they are collective organizations owned and democratically managed by their members, and, accordingly, are argued to be closely linked to the nature and dynamics [...] Read more.
How cooperatives generate and absorb social capital has attracted a great deal of attention due to the fact that they are collective organizations owned and democratically managed by their members, and, accordingly, are argued to be closely linked to the nature and dynamics of social capital. However, the extant literature and knowledge on the relationship between cooperatives and social capital remain unstructured and fragmented. This paper aims to provide a narrative literature review that integrates both sides of the relationship between cooperatives and social capital. On the one hand, one side involves how cooperatives create internal social capital and spread it in their immediate environment, and, on the other hand, it involves how the presence of social capital promotes the creation and development of cooperatives. In addition, our theoretical framework integrates the dark side of social capital, that is, how the lack of trust, reciprocal relationships, transparency, and other social capital components can lead to failure of the cooperative. On the basis of this review, we define a research agenda that synthesizes key trends and promising research avenues for further advancement of theoretical and empirical insights about the relationship between cooperatives and social capital, placing particular emphasis on rural and agricultural cooperatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital as an Input of Social Sustainability in Rural and Agricultural Cooperatives)
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