The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has published a new study entitled “Social and solidarity economy organizations in Chile and their legal figures”, which offers a comparative analysis between the different legal figures in Chile. The work is the result of a collaborative effort developed by Mario Radrigán, consultant of the Productive and Business Development Division of ECLAC, Patricio Inostroza, coordinator of the Research and Studies Area of the International Center for Social and Cooperative Economy of the University of Santiago de Chile (USACH), and Felipe Correa, also a consultant for the aforementioned Division of ECLAC.
Divided into six chapters, the report addresses everything from the context of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) to the characterization of the legal figures that comprise it. In Chile, although the terms “social economy” and “solidarity economy” are known in the academic field, their use in other contexts remains limited.
In addition to the conceptual development of the SSE, in recent years, several countries have generated legal frameworks aimed at the recognition of the social and solidarity economy. Currently there are 11 countries that have legislated on the matter. For its part, Chile lacks a legal framework to identify, regulate and promote the SSE, a fact that, according to the study, may be due to the constitutional tradition aimed at ensuring the right to property or the promotion of lucrative models.
Among the entities identified as part of the SSE in Chile, the report includes cooperatives, foundations, associations, independent worker unions, consumer organizations, B companies and indigenous associations and communities. In 2022, 81.2% of the organizations established in this area were community organizations, followed by corporations and associations (13.9%). Furthermore, the study highlights that, of these organizations, 73.8% are established in regions other than the Metropolitan.
The work also reveals structural challenges, such as the lack of homogeneity in the classifiers used by the supervisory entities, which makes a comparative analysis of the activities carried out by each legal form difficult. In terms of temporal evolution, the study argues that it is not possible to accurately determine the number of SSE organizations active per year, due to the absence of information on the annual activity of the organizations. However, the authors observe that between 2014 and 2019, an annual average of creation of between 25 and 30 thousand SSE organizations per year was recorded.
Finally, among the recommendations, the study points towards homogenization of the data for greater statistical comparability, as well as the convenience of informing and guiding groups interested in being part of the sector. Likewise, it highlights the importance of working under a minimum basis of coordination between institutions, especially those in the public sector. As part of these cooperation efforts, the need to generate spaces for dialogue between the different legal forms of the SSE in Chile is highlighted.
With this analysis and its proposals, the study offers a roadmap so that Chile can advance in the creation of public policies that promote the sector and enhance its impact on the country’s communities.
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