The popular and solidarity economy. An alternative for local economic development in the case of the cuenca canton

Abstract

Introduction. The popular and solidarity economy in Ecuador was recognized in the 2008 Constitution, giving way to the approval of the Organic Law of the Popular and Solidarity Economy in 2011. The common needs of people and the demand for products, goods and services from The State generated the creation of new organizations that are part of the social fabric and productive sector, hence the need to identify them and know their characteristics, as well as their importance within the local development of a territory. Objective. Determine the characteristics of the non-financial sector of the popular and solidarity economy, in the case of the Cuenca canton. Methodology. The research is descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational in nature. To characterize the organizations of the popular and solidarity economy -OEPS, a questionnaire from the Guide for mapping and surveying the Popular and Solidarity Economy in Latin America and the Caribbean was applied to obtain and analyze information on three thematic axes: articulation of the actors of the popular solidarity economy and the social and solidarity economy, characteristics of the Popular Solidarity Economy organizations, and characteristics of the products, goods and services of the OEPS, finally to identify the relationship between the variables number of members and monthly income. Results. In the Cuenca canton there are 308 OEPS, 86% in active status: 151 are associations being 57%, 113 are cooperatives being 42%, and 2 unions being 1%. 65% of the OEPS are urban and 35% rural. 18 classes of associations, 11 types of cooperatives and 1 class of union are identified. Conclusion. The reliability analysis presented a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.881. The results of the analysis of the variables show that the economic income of the organizations is higher in the organizations that have a greater number of members.