Solidarity Economy

Definition
 An alternative economic framework to that of
neoliberal globalization

 Grounded in solidarity and cooperation

 Promotes social and economic democracy, equity in

all dimensions (e.g. race, class, gender...) and
sustainability.

 It is pluralist and organic in its approach, allowing

for different forms and strategies in different
contexts.
Community Development Corporations
Franklin County Community
Development Corporation –
business incubator including an up
to code food production center

Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative, Boston

shining example of community taking
control of economic development.
 Social Enterprise
Nuestras Raices
Holyoke, MA
Shared-use kitchen

Mi Plaza Restaurant

El Jardin Bakery Centro Agricola

Social Enterprise -
Urban agriculture
Nuestras
Raices,
Holyoke,
MA
Urban agriculture

Zenger Farms, Portland, OR

Immigrant Market Garden
Land is reserved for immigrant families to
grow vegetables that are common in their
country of origin but are either unavailable
or too expensive to buy in the U.S. They
grow food for themselves and for sale at
the local farmer's markets.
Urban agriculture The Food Project –
Boston, MA
The Food Project works with
youth in immigrant
communities to grow a
community of youth and
adults from diverse
backgrounds who work
together to build a
sustainable food system.

Ethiopian Catering business

Community supported agriculture
About 10 percent of CSAs in the U.S. are operated by nonprofit
organizations, such as food banks. Nonprofit CSAs provide work and
training for the unemployed, fresh produce for the food bank, and a
venue for other local farms to sell products.

Food Bank of W. Mass.

 Community Land trusts

Athens Land Trust:

Goals: Affordable Housing

Community Land
trusts

Conservation

Athens land trust

Neighborhood revitalization
Social/Local Currency

Art used in Berkshire, MA local currency

Participatory budgeting

Participatory Budget assembly

in Santo André, SP, Brazil (2003)

The participatory budget of Icapui, Brazil. The left column

reads, “where the money comes from.” the right one, “what
the money is spent for.” Below it says,”When the
administration is transparent, everything works smoothly.”
 Green building
Solara
56 affordable housing
project in Poway,
California. Hydronic space
heating and photo-voltaic
panels produce nearly 100
percent of the project's
electricity, significantly
reducing tenants' utility
costs and making these
units even more
affordable.
 Eco-village

Gaviotas, Colombia - A huge mural painting of what Gaviotans

have already accomplished, and their vision for the future. Note airship in
the background.
 Eco-village

This micro-hydro power plant

generates electricity from a one- Gaviotas, Colombia – research
meter water drop.
center & biodiesal production
 Eco-village:
Gaviotas
 Reforestation: Gaviotans have
discovered that their pine forest
can produce twice as much resin
as any other resin-tapping forest
in the world. Tree tappers
normally use sulfuric acid when
making incisions, but Gaviotans
use an enzyme that appears to be
beneficial for the trees. The use
of mycorrhiza fungus on the
roots of the trees may also
contribute to their productivity.
 Ecological production
ZERI - Zero Emissions Research & Initiatives is a global network of innovators
working within a common vision that views waste as a resource and seeks
solutions using nature's design principles as inspiration.

Traditional beer production

ZERI beer production
 Ecological design - Biomimicry
 Termite inspiration - Eastgate Building in Harare, Zimbabwe. Inspired by
termite towers in Zimbabwe that use ventilation shafts to keep their homes at a
constant temperature of 87 degrees F, while outside temperatures fluctuate between
34 to 104 degrees. The Eastgate building doesn’t need an air conditioning system.
In the first five years alone, the building saved its owner $3.5 million in energy
costs.
ESOPs – Worker ownership

• 9225 ESOPs with 10 million workers

• Better wages, benefits, investment, outsourcing, jobs
and profitability.
Worker cooperatives
Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security (WAGES) - Bay
Area, CA In the Bay Area, immigrant women have taken control of their
work life by creating worker-owned green cooperatives that provide non-toxic
house-cleaning services.
Worker Co-ops
Co-operative Home Care Associates
(CHCA)

-Jobs: Created Over 550 jobs for low-income

African-American and Latina women, many
of whom were on welfare.

-Wages: average $8/hour—among the

industry’s highest

- Benefits: individual health insurance, paid

vacation and sick time

- Worker turnover: less than 20% a year,

compared to an industry average of 40-60%.
 Mondragon
Cooperative
 100-150 cooperatives, including
manufacturing & service
providers, a bank, a research and
development institute, a chain of
supermarkets, its own social
welfare system, schools, housing,
occupational training and an
education center for members

 20-25,000 worker-owners (3% of

the Basque region’s workforce).

 Number one business group in

the Basque region and is fifteenth
in the ranking of Spanish
companies.

 Survived 12 years of recession

(1974-1985) with no layoffs and
virtually no business failures.
Throughout its history it has had
three enterprises fail.
Fagor Arrasate assembly plant, part of Mondragon
 International Co-operative
Cooperatives Alliance
ICA has 220 member organisations from
85 countries, representing more than 800
million individuals worldwide.
 Craft cooperatives
Somali Bantu Women’s Co-
operative, San Diego, CA

Women’s Textile
Co-operative,
Minneapolis, MN -
preserves Somali
cultural art tradition.
Older women pass
on skills to younger
women.
 Agricultural Cooperatives
Federation of Southern
Cooperatives
High road & education

Austin Polytech,
Chicago – high
school training for
high skill jobs,
management &
ownership