Social and solidarity economy models as catalysts for local development

Abstract

This article explores the role of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) models as agents of transformation in territorial development processes. Using a qualitative approach and comparative analysis of experiences in India, Brazil, Europe, Senegal, and Latin America, it examines how these initiatives strengthen economic resilience, promote productive equity, and drive financial inclusion. Credit cooperatives, social enterprises, agricultural networks, and solidarity finance are presented as effective tools for addressing economic crises, guaranteeing basic services, and generating decent employment in vulnerable contexts. Their capacity to reconfigure value chains through practices that redistribute power and increase local income is also analyzed. However, the study also identifies structural challenges, such as dependence on existing social capital, the risks of co-optation by neoliberal actors, and the urgent need for regulatory frameworks that support their autonomy. Through a critical and situated lens, it argues that the SSE is not a single or universal solution, but it does represent a viable and ethical way to rethink local development from a people- and territory-centered perspective. This work contributes to the academic debate by linking local experiences with macroeconomic dynamics, proposing institutional and community conditions that allow these models to scale up without losing their transformative essence.