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In times of crisis, the study of employment is of vital importance, especially that generated by cooperatives, which show great resilience. This paper analyzes the evolution of employment created by cooperatives in the different Spanish regions in relation to total employment between 1999 and 2019 with a pioneering approach. We analyze the existence of convergence clubs among the Spanish regions using the methodology developed by Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009). The results show the existence of four clubs that include the regions that converge in relative terms of cooperative employment over the 20 years analyzed. The lack of homogeneity in the behavior of employment in cooperatives in the different Spanish regions is demonstrated, with certain divergences among regions. These divergences make it difficult to establish a model of cooperative employment for the whole of Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the unusual representation of work and workers in the novel La mano invisible (Isaac Rosa 2011) and its cinematic version (David Macián 2016). It explores how Rosa and Macián challenge the hegemonic invisibility of labour and labourers in the collective imagination of Spanish society by materializing not only the invisible hand of the workers behind the production of commodities and the supply of services, but also the invisible hand behind labour relations in a neo-liberal society. These representations are also analysed in their context of production and reception: post-industrial Europe and, more specifically, post-2008 crisis Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the political system and in public perception, the well-functioning of economy is frequently equalled to the output of the national economic system. However, during the last decades, this narrow conception of economic prosperity started to erode. This paper is based on a rural prosperity conceptual framework that takes into account the systemic nature and dynamics of interactions and impacts within rural systems through the analysis of an organic agriculture cooperative called Camposeven in the south east of Spain. The focus is on rural prosperity, differences in understanding, related parameters and strategies used by the cooperativés farming partners to success without following the traditional conventions of economic growth and farm-efficiency. Experience lessons in this paper demonstrate that the “technical-economic” approach of rural prosperity is not sufficient and results emphasize the important role of individuals’ behaviour as well as the contexts in which they are involved. The findings point to the increasing relevance of expanding both the theory and practice of rural prosperity approaches in sustainable rural development. This is important in order to enrich the connections between rural prosperity and other concepts such as social capital, innovation, social learning and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the performance of agricultural cooperatives has become increasingly important in recent years due to the significant role they play in the agricultural food sector. In this context, the purpose of this study is to obtain a performance index of agri-food cooperatives. The opportunity set comprises 42 companies from the Valencian Community region. Their financial statements were used as the primary information source. The additive index was computed by single price model (SPM) operations research methods that allow managerial behaviour to be ranked according to efficiency criteria, identifying the most efficient alternative and distinguishing it from the remaining alternatives in the ranking. This ranking is an aid to detecting leading positions over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the programming of farm production, understood not only as the choice among several crops, but also as their temporal distribution. The empirical study takes as a reference the horticultural sector in southeast Spain, since this area constitutes the highest concentration of small-scale farm production in Europe, where the climatic conditions allow the possibility of several harvests in year-round production, as well as several alternative crops. Firstly, we study the production programming for an individual farmer, under the assumption that their decisions do not affect the balance of market prices. In this case a modified Markowitz model is used for the scheduling of crop marketing. Secondly, we study the sales arrangements for a farming-marketing cooperative, under the assumption that their sales volume is such that the entity is capable of altering the market balance. A model of monthly revenues and margins is proposed, and the results show a clear improvement in both margins and revenues if the harvest is programmed in this way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the connection between training policy and labour flexibility practices in the Mondragon cooperative corporation, exploring whether this connection might explain Mondragon's success in dealing with recession. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 managers from Mondragon's corporate training centres, some of whom provided internal documents on training and employment policies which have also been incorporated into our analysis. We find that training in general skills can generate competitive advantages in a highly diversified corporation when this training policy goes hand in hand with an employment policy that promotes lifelong employment, functional flexibility and the relocation of employees between the corporation's different companies. The training policy and the labour flexibility practices developed by Mondragon and their positive effects may be applicable in other corporations and especially in other diversified cooperative groups that aim to maintain employment during economic downturns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pôle Sud is the property of Centre Comparatif d'Etudes sur les Politiques Publiques et les Espaces Locaux and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cayapa is the property of Universidad de Los Andes (Venezuela) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Globally, one in every three produced kilograms is wasted at some point along the entire agri-food chain. Unfortunately, knowledge about losses and waste is not equally distributed along the food chain. In fact, in some stages the primary data required to properly estimate the magnitude of the problem are lacking. This is especially true for agricultural production, for which studies that have used on-site measurements are scarce. The present study analyses the mass losses and unpaid share that occur during the harvest process and persimmon storage in warehouses in the Valencia region, Spain. The study was carried out using on-site measurements and primary data from the harvest and storage phases. Losses were also classified according to their causes. The total mass and economic losses were estimated as either 29.5% for the total produced volume or 38.5% for the number of finally commercialised kilograms. This work aims to highlight the complex problem in primary production with the mass and economic losses that farmers bear and to show the potential of loss reduction measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]