Jointly Organised by: Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Mexico and University of Westminster, United Kingdom.
Call for book chapters:
“Social Solidarity Economy as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development”
As we pass the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, the urgency to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has never been greater. Traditional neoliberal economic models are increasingly scrutinised for their systemic failures to address wealth inequality, social exclusion, and climate instability.
In response, international frameworks, including UN General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/77/281, 2023), International Labour Conference (2022), Di Meglio and Marcuello, 2024, and OECD (2024), recognised the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) as a fundamental transformative approach that reorients economic activity towards sustainable, rights-based development of a common good. The SSE encompasses cooperatives, mutuals, associations, social enterprises, and grassroots initiatives that operate through democratic governance, voluntary cooperation, blending market, non-market, and redistributive practices (Coraggio, 2011; Utting, 2015). SSE is seen as primary driver of social capital, spatial equality, local employment, and grassroots innovation.
Research on the SSE highlights distinct regional trajectories across continents (Pérez de Mendiguren and Etxezarreta, 2015; Quispe Andía, 2020). In Europe, SSE research frequently centres on social enterprise models, public service co-production, and welfare state integration, whereas, in Latin America, the field remains deeply tied to popular economies, indigenous territorial defence, grassroots social movements, and structural resistance against market exploitation to demonstrate how grassroots solidarity networks have long provided structural alternatives during economic crises (Arcos-Alonso et al., 2024; Martínez-Rodríguez, 2015).
Empirical studies demonstrate SSE practices boosting community wellbeing (Alcívar-Rodríguez et al., 2024; Oviedo-Bayas et al., 2025), securing sustain rural livelihoods (Rezabala Encalada and Felipe Valdés, 2024), improving territorial infrastructure, market access, and financial inclusion (Cerna-Ramírez, 2026), powering agri-food innovations (Bagneta et al., 2016; Kostas et al., 2026), supporting socio-educational interventions in marginalised territories (Valencia et al., 2025), and sustaining care economies (Coraggio, 2011).
However, as Arcos-Alonso et al. (2024), Pérez de Mendiguren and Etxezarreta (2015) and Utting (2015) note, critical gaps remain regarding the SSE capacity to move beyond its peripheral status without losing its democratic essence or succumbing to market co-optation, and how institutional pathways connect micro-level practices to macro-level policies (Coraggio, 2009).
With the 2030 SDG deadline fast approaching, the SSE creates an unprecedented opening for academic research to inform global policy. To bridge the conceptual and empirical gaps, this volume poses one central question at the heart of this challenge: Under what institutional, political, and territorial conditions can the social and solidarity economy scale up (systemic policy/legal/institutional growth) and scale out (horizontal spatial/territorial expansion across urban-rural regions), to act as a primary driver for sustainable development and socio-ecological recovery?
Core gaps and thematic framework
This volume explicitly welcomes and encourages contributions from both Latin America and Europe perspectives to foster an enriched cross-regional dialogue. The literature gaps are designed to guide potential contributions on these pathways:
• Geographical and conceptual gap: Bridging Europe and Latin America structural trajectories and navigating these perspectives to build cross-regional frameworks for the common good (Pérez de Mendiguren and Etxezarreta, 2015; Martínez-Rodríguez, 2015; Quispe Andía, 2020), incorporating the ecosocial transition models (Arcos-Alonso et al., 2024), and drawing on Coraggio (2009) to theorise micro-level practices to macro-level alliances against market hegemony.
• Governance, organisation and strategic alliances gap: Examining horizontal scaling in fair trade value chains, agri-food commercialisation and innovations, regional and global markets integration, legislative mechanisms, the usage of digital tools for the common good without eroding democratic values (Kostas et al., 2026; Rezabala Encalada and Felipe Valdés, 2024; Utting, 2015).
• Spatial inequality and inclusion gap: Generating empirical evidence on how SSE deploys social capital to resolve territorial disparities, generate local employment, address housing precarity and support vulnerable/migrant populations (Alcívar-Rodríguez et al., 2024; Di Meglio and Marcuello, 2024; OECD, 2024).
• Territorial resilience, rural development, and sovereignty gap: Documenting bottom-up ecological models, circular economic practices, and community resource management that defend localised ecosystems (Arcos-Alonso et al., 2024; Bagneta et al., 2016; Cerna-Ramírez, 2026; Kostas et al., 2026; Oviedo-Bayas et al., 2025).
• Finance and inclusive social gap: Identifying public policy designs, local savings groups, social banking, and socio-educational interventions that secure long-term financial viability and community defense (Cerna-Ramírez, 2026; Di Meglio and Marcuello, 2024; ILO, 2022; Valencia et al., 2025).
Aims and Scope
This volume approaches the SSE as a primary mechanism for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These themes position the SSE as a structural link that synthesises economic viability, social equity, and climate urgency:
• SDG 1 and SDG 8 (Poverty eradication and decent work: Participatory governance decision-making, redefining labour relations, and local employment (ILO, 2022; OECD, 2024).
• SDG 4 and SDG 10 (Marginalised territories: Socio-educational interventions transforming underserved municipalities and tackle structural inequalities (Valencia et al., 2025).
• SDG 5 (Gender justice and care economy): Prioritising life preservation over capital accumulation and ensuring gender-inclusive leadership (Alcívar-Rodríguez et al., 2024; Coraggio, 2011).
• SDG 2, 12, and 13 (Food sovereignty and climate action): Resolving market friction in rural territories through agri-food social innovation and ecosocial transitions (Arcos-Alonso et al., 2024; Bagneta et al., 2016; Cerna-Ramírez, 2026; Kostas et al., 2026; Rezabala Encalada and Felipe Valdés, 2024).
A steer for contributors and readership
We invite original, interdisciplinary chapters blending theoretical and empirical analysis, particularly exploring, blending, or contrasting cross-regional European and Latin American dynamics across our proposed themes, with actionable insights that translate micro-level solidarity practices into meso- and macro-level policy tools for the common good.
This volume will explore systemic challenges, deeply investigate how SSE scales, transforms, and sustains itself through concrete institutional, political, and territorial dynamics. It is crafted for a broad audience across academia, policy and practice, including scholars, researchers, and university students. As well as development actors such as advisors within multilateral organisations, regional development agencies, local government officials, and policymakers. This volume will inform them with the conceptual frameworks and empirical tools to position the SSE as the engine for an equitable and common-good economy.
References
Alcívar-Rodríguez, S. J., Cedeño-Giler, J. B., Márquez-Bravo, Y. J., and Vera-Párraga, C. C. (2024). Calidad de vida y bienestar colectivo en asociaciones de consumo de bienes y productos. Gestio et Productio: Revista Electrónica de Ciencias Gerenciales, 6(11), 128–147. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9847761
Arcos-Alonso, A., Gainza-Barrencua, X., Villalba-Eguiluz, U., Pérez_de_Mendiguren, J. C., Carranza-Barona, C., Perez-Alva, E., Acevedo-Lasso, C. A., Davalos-escobar, J., Lopez-Menza, E. F., Muñoz-Paz, I., and Jimenez, J. (2024). Transiciones ecosociales y economía social y solidaria: identificando dimensiones clave para el cambio social en los territorios desde la región andina. Revista de Economía Mundial, 67(67), 99–123. https://doi.org/10.33776/rem.vi67.8091
Bagneta, J.M., de Arce, A., and Mateo, G. (comps.) (2016) Entre la Economía Social y el Mercado. Reflexiones para un debate abierto en el agro latinoamericano. [Between the Social Economy and the Market. Reflections for an open debate in Latin American Agriculture]. Buenos Aires: Intercoop. Estudios Rurales, 6(10). https://doi.org/10.48160/22504001er10.332
Cerna-Ramírez, C. L. (2026). La economía solidaria y desarrollo territorial en Guatemala: una matriz analítica. [Solidarity Economy and Territorial Development in Guatemala: An Analytical Matrix]. Economicus Journal of Business and Economics Insights, 3(2), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.54167/ejbei.v3i2.2357
Coraggio, J. L. (2009). Los caminos de la economía social y solidaria. [The paths of the social and solidarity economy]. Iconos: publicación de FLACSO-Ecuador, 13(1), 29–38.
Coraggio, J. L. (2011). Economía Social y Solidaria: El trabajo antes que el capital. [Social and Solidarity Economy: work before capital] Ed. Abya-Yala. Available at https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Econom%C3%ADa_social_y_solidaria.html?id=B-RZEAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
Di Meglio, R. and Marcuell, C. (coor) (2024). La Economía Social y Solidaria En Iberoamérica: Desafíos y Oportunidades a Partir De Las Resoluciones Internacionales De La OIT, OCDE y Naciones Unidas. [Social and Solidarity Economy in Ibero-America: Challenges and Opportunities Based on the International Resolutions of the ILO, OECD, and United Nations.] https://www.ciriec.uliege.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Oibescoop-livre-MTIN-2024.pdf
Kostas, A., Zoumpoulidis, V., Fragkioudaki, M., and Karasavvoglou, A. (2026). Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector: A Conceptual Synthesis of Contributions to Sustainable Local and Rural Development. Social Sciences, 15(4), 248. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040248
Martínez-Rodríguez, S. (2015). La Economía Social y Solidaria (ESS) en América Latina: Experiencias desde la historia para nuevos escenarios. [The Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in Latin America: Experiences from history for new scenarios]. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/14900712/La_Econom%C3%ADa_Social_y_Solidaria_ESS_en_Am%C3%A9rica_Latina_Experiencias_desde_la_historia_para_nuevos_escenarios
OECD. (2024). Unlocking the potential of the social and solidarity economy for people, places and firms in Latin America and the Caribbean. OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, 2024(12). https://doi.org/10.1787/11fbb636-en
Oviedo-Bayas, B., Murillo Vélez, J. L., Zambrano-Vega, C., and Guevara-Torres, P. (2025). Social and solidarity economy models as catalysts for local development. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurial Studies, 9(3),10-22. https://doi.org/10.37956/jbes.v9i2.396
Pérez de Mendiguren, J. C., and Etxezarreta, E. (2015). Sobre el concepto de economía social y solidaria: aproximaciones desde Europa y América Latina. [On the Social and Solidarity Economy concept: Approaches from Europe and Latin America]. Revista de Economía Mundial, 40, 123-144. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1723732787?accountid=14987&pq-origsite=primo&searchKeywords=P%C3%A9rez%20de%20Mendiguren&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
Quispe Andía, R. G. (2020). Economía solidaria: ¿utopía o alternativa posible? [Solidarity economy: utopia or possible alternative?] Discursos del Sur, revista de teoría crítica en Ciencias Sociales, (6), 177–200. https://doi.org/10.15381/discursos.v0i6.19321
Rezabala Encalada, Y. A, and Felipe Valdés, P (2024). Comercialización de productos agrícolas en la economía popular y solidaria de la provincia de Manabí. [Marketing of agricultural products in the popular and solidarity economy of the province of Manabí]. Mikarimin. Revista Científica Multidisciplinaria, 10(1) 101-121 https://doi.org/10.61154/mrcm.v10i1.3398
UN General Assembly. (2023). Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy for Sustainable Development (A/RES/77/281). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 April 2023. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4009889?v=pdf
Utting, P. (Ed.). (2015). Social and Solidarity Economy:Beyond the Fringe. Introduction by Peter Utting and Jean-Louis Laville. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) / Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350222618
Valencia, J. D., Coral, L. J. R., Aguilar, W. N. G., and Rizo, G. O. (2025). Intervenciones Socioeducativas Desde los Entramados de las Economías Sociales y Solidarias, un Caso en el Norte del Cauca, Municipio de Santander de Quilichao, Sur Occidente Colombiano. [Socio-educational Interventions from the Frameworks of Social and Solidarity Economies, a Case in Northern Cauca, Municipality of Santander de Quilichao, Southwest Colombia]. GeSec: Revista de Gestão e Secretariado, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.7769/gesec.v16i4.4859
International Labour Conference. (2022). Decent work and the social and solidarity economy (Report VI, 110th Session). International Labour Office. https://labordoc.ilo.org/discovery/fulldisplay?vid=41ILO_INST:41ILO_V2&tab=ILO_Documents&docid=alma995178092502676&lang=en&context=L&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&query=any,contains,Central%20Asia&offset=0
Submission Guidelines for Authors
All submissions must be original
Documents will undergo rigorous peer review and plagiarism screening (Turnitin, Plagium, Safeassign, etc); similarity reports must not exceed 15% including citations; otherwise, the work will be immediately rejected.
• No document that violates the code of ethics will be accepted, including plagiarism, simultaneous submissions, duplicate publication, conflict of interest, authorship disputes, fragmentation, or research fraud, among others.
• Authors commit to reviewing another chapter and providing a corresponding written evaluation.
• Authors must address and incorporate observations made by editors, coordinators, collaborators, and academic peers if necessary.
• The Editorial Committee reserves the right to make any necessary stylistic modifications to the manuscript.
• Authors must review and submit a signed Letter of Authorship, Transfer of Rights, and Declaration of Originality. This document confirms the original and unpublished nature of the work, confirms authorship, manages the transfer of rights and content distribution, and discloses any individual research funding received.
• Authors are required to include official identification when submitting their chapter alongside the signed Letter of Authorship, Transfer of Rights, and Declaration of Originality.
• The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the contribution and ensuring all author data is correct. Requests to modify authorship data must be submitted to the editor before the review process concludes, and all authors must agree to proposed changes. In cases of author inclusion or removal, the author not participating must expressly agree to and sign for their withdrawal, and also for the remaining collective of authors.
• Authors must recognise that their contributions are vital for advancing knowledge and fostering substantial scientific methodologies, knowledge and ideas. Consequently, a high level of responsibility, honesty, and academic commitment is expected. This includes maintaining work quality, adhering to author regulations and stipulated deadlines, and meticulously addressing all observations from peer reviewers and editors.
Language
We welcome contributions in English and Spanish.
Technical Specifications
1. Clear and concise title (under 20 words), indicating geographical and temporal scope.
2. Authors listed in alpahbetical order and including their contribution.
3. A valid ORCID iD must be integrated for every author to ensure proper indexing and academic transparency.
4. A biographical summary for each author (100 words) with a concise professional narrative written in the third person must include:
a. Highest degrees obtained (e.g., PhD, MA, BA) and their respective awarding institutions.
b. Current job title/role and name of the employing institution.
c. A brief summary of academic, scientific, or professional experience, specifically highlighting primary research lines or areas of expertise.
d. Professional email address.
5. One author must be designated as the corresponding author and the primary point of contact.
6. Mandatory chapter structure outline:
a. Title (if the manuscript is in Spanish the title should be provided in both, English and Spanish).
b. The absctract should not exceeding 350 words. It must be written in the third person and include the problem statement, justification, methodology, results, and conclusions. Abastract in both English and Spanish if the manuscript is written in Spanish. Please state whether the manuscript, should it be accepted, will be submitted in Spanish.
c. A maximum of five keywords (not included in the title). Each keyword or two-word phrase (e.g., Sustainable Development, Machine learning) must be separated by a full stop. Key words in both English and Spanish if the manuscript is written in Spanish.
d. The introduction must present the problem statement, justification (explaining the academic “why” and “what for” the selection of the topic), hypothesis, objectives, methodology, and the theoretical/conceptual framework. It should also include a roadmap detailing the organisation and sequence of the chapter.
e. The literature review should include the primary theories underpinning the study.
f. The contextual development should contain a detailed background of the study.
g. Methdology with a clear description of the research method.
h. The analysis and discussion of the results should present the data and findings supported by evidence such as tables and graphs.
i. Conclusions and proposals must have a brief, schematic summary of the discussion and key findings, including recommendations or future proposals.
j. References formatted according to APA 7th Edition.
k. Appendices should include any supplementary materials.
7. All writing must be in the third person. APA 7th Edition.
8. Microsoft Word, Times New Roman 12pt, 1.15 line spacing
9. 15 to 25 pages (approx. 5,000 – 8,000 words), including all tables, figures, references and appendices.
10. All figures, tables, and graphs must be submitted in their original, editable formats rather than as static images. Every element must be consecutively numbered and include a clear citation of its source. Original files (e.g., Excel, .png, .jpg) must be attached separately alongside the final manuscript. All visual materials must be high-definition; blurry or “pixelated” submissions will not be accepted. Each image, table, or diagram must be accompanied by alt-text (a brief description for accessibility), which will be included in the total chapter word count.
a. Tables and graphs
• Formatting: Table titles must be placed at the top (header). Use Times New Roman, 10pt, left-aligned, with no extra spacing.
• Numbering: Use consecutive Arabic numerals.
• Citations: The source or origin of the data must be indicated at the foot of the table following APA 7th Edition style.
• Tables and graphs should be created using Word and Excel editor or any other editable format to ensure proper digital encoding.
• If a table is exceptionally complex, it may be submitted as a high-resolution image (minimum 300 dpi), provided it meets image specification standards.
• Scope: The term “tables” encompasses catalogues and listings. The term “graphs” include charts, histograms, and trend lines.
b. Images and Illustrations
• Titles must appear at the top of the image, numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals.
• Source: The origin of the image must be cited at the foot in APA 7th Edition format.
• Charts/Graphs: These must include appropriate scales and clearly labelled axes.
• Resolution: A minimum resolution of 300 dpi is required; accepted formats are .jpg and .png.
• Scope: The term “images” includes graphs, maps, diagrams, flowcharts, and vector representations.
c. Mathematical Formulae
• Formulae must be generated using the Microsoft Word Equation Editor.
• Ensure there are no errors in superscripts or subscripts.
• All variables must be written in italics.
• The equation format must allow for future editorial adjustments.
• Punctuation: Use a full stop for decimals and commas to separate thousands.
Note: Authors may submit charts, graphs, and equations in a separate independent file, provided the exact placement is clearly marked within the manuscript text.
11. Bibliographic references formatted in APA 7th edition is required. To ensure academic rigour and currency, at least 40% of the cited literature must be recent (published from 2021 onwards).
12. Footnotes must set in single spacing using Times New Roman 10pt font. These should be justified and numbered consecutively.
13. The document must be clearly paged throughout.
14. Authors must write in an inclusive language, ensuring non-discrimination regarding gender, culture, sex, religion, or race.
15. The written language must remain respectful, objective, academic, and scientific in nature.
Important dates (2026-2027)
12 October 2026: Submission of Title, Author(s) details, and Abstract.
16 November 2026: Acceptance of the chapter
15 February 2027: Submission of Full Chapter. Submission of signed Letter of Authorship, Transfer of Rights, and Declaration of Originality.
22 – 26 February 2027: Double-blind peer review process begins.
Contact and Submission
Please submit your proposals and inquiries to the following Editorial Team:
Dr Ariadna Hernández Rivera and Dr Erendira Leon Bravo
email: sse.submissions@gmail.com
copy to: libroscoordinadosahr@gmail.com
Please state whether the manuscript, should it be accepted, will be submitted in Spanish
Call for Chapters_Social Solidarity Economy as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development