Glossary

Community-based economics or community economics is an economic system that encourages local initiative and self-organization as eco-village communities or cohousing experience in city. It is also a topic in the urban economy, linked to the ethical purchase and local purchase, which aims to encourage local producers in the social and solidarity network. An example is the groups of solidary purchases where family groups organize their purchases (food or other goods and services) directly with local producers. In this way, they expand the social economy and solidarity circuit.

A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise (International Cooperative Alliance definition). Cooperatives are voluntary organisations, based on the values of self-help, democratic principles of management, equality and solidarity, guided by common principles of action. Members actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. “Cooperative members contribute to and control the capital of their cooperative. They usually receive limited compensation, if any, on the capital they subscribe; and decisions regarding the distribution of surplus (whether towards the development of the cooperative, for compensation of members, or supporting community activities) are taken democratically. Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by members. If they raise funds from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by members and maintain the cooperative’s autonomy.”