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Cooperative Sierra de las Nieves- Aloreña Group

A - DESCRIPTION OF THE GOOD PRACTICE

A1 - Title in original language
SCA Sierra de las Nieves- Grupo Aloreña

A2 - Title in English
Cooperative Sierra de las Nieves- Aloreña Group

A3 - Location of GP (national)
Spain

A4 - Location of GP (regional)
Andalusia

A5 - Economic field of activity
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing

A6 - Ultimate purpose of GP
To create or conserve employment
To improve social cohesion/inclusion
To respond to crisis

A7 - Spatial scale
International

A8a - Start date
November 2012

A8b - Anticipated end date (if applicable)
Ongoing, no end expected

A9 - Short description of the GP
The group is a conglomerate of X cooperatives aiming at achieving the best offer of exclusive products.

A10 - Key words relating to the GP
Exclusiveness
Internationalisation
Tradition
Innovation
Social

A11 - Objectives of the GP
Improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the inland municipalities in the province of Málaga through a conglomerate of olive cooperatives under the guarantee of origin and quality.

A12 - Activities that have taken place
Concentration of offer, new trade channels, analysis of former and current international markets for the product, internationalisation. Application to obtain the guarantee of origin and quality.

A13 - Achievements of the GP

  1. Socially speaking, the project meant a transition from a situation of rivalry among local enterprises to cooperation;
  2. Gathering all former investments has enabled the optimisation of facilities and procedures;
  3. The diversification of the industrial activity has been submmitted to study.

B - IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND ECONOMY

B1 - How has the GP impacted on the following?

B1a - Legal/financial exclusion
Positive impacts
Any other comments?
The project resulted appealing for the financial institutions; cooperatives of credit showed interest in participating in the future of the company.

B1b - Creation or conservation of local employment
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
Increased number of agricultural employment and consolidation of agro-industrial employment. Important impact on the socio economic activity in all municipalities involved.

B1c - Adaptation to new realities
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
In the last 20-30 years "individualism" seemed to be sustainable from the social and economic perspective. The economic crisis this image vanished and society realises that cooperation for the maintenance of the standard of living and the sustainability of inland communities is a must. The activities are to be based on the traditional know-how, getting profit of endogenous natural resources and setting the products in a global market at a competitive price and the best quality.

B1d - Cross sectoral working
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?

B1e - Enablement of social enterpreneurship
Positive impacts
Any other comments?
The fact that a joint action had been undertaken enabled social entrepreneurs to better work. It is necessary the education for the sustainability of small communities and innovation-limited communities so that their capacities be profitable and fruitful. Initiatives such as the one presented here mean a turning point in the way the economic activity in these municipalities is understood.

B1f - Amenities for local people
Positive impacts
Any other comments?

B1g - Educational opportunities
Positive impacts
Any other comments?
A moderate social impact on society of cooperative work is been currently observed, since it relates to other aspects of daily life. It has getting a big echo among local population and it is serving to prove the model of the social economy as a necessary alternative.

B1h - Crisis response
Positive impacts
Any other comments?
Great flexibility, certain economic independency from financial institutions since it has its ouwn funding channels; very small profit margin and maximum adjustment of production costs. The cooperatives integrating the group have managed to avoid the decrease in sales and the price reduction.

B1i - Local financial environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?

B1j - Local policy environment for social enterpreneurs
Very positive impacts
Any other comments?
Massive local support to an initiative that may mean the viability of agro-industrial engine in the territory after the local economy had been exclusively supported on building construction and services in the last three decades.

B1k - National financial environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?
Except for the credit cooperative "CAJAMAR", the treatment of the cooperative by the financial institutions has been the same as for any other company. Cajamar has offered a special treatment to the cooperatives involved by making available online banking with certain advantages that enabled the entities to save money.

B1l - National policy environment for social enterpreneurs
Neutral impacts
Any other comments?


C - PARTNERSHIPS & GOVERNANCE

C1 - Is the governance of this GP fully inclusive?
Beneficiaries are somewhat involved in governance
Comments and learning points
Cooperatives in the project: Manzanilla Aloreña, SCA de Álora; Sagrado Corazón, SCA de Casarabolena; Purísima Santiago, SCA de Alozaina; Tolox Agrícola, SCA de Tolox; El Molino de Guaro, SCA de Guaro.

C2 - How influential has this GP been on local or national decision makers?
No influence achieved
Comments and learning points
Although their interest has been awakened.

C3 - How much partnership work has been involved?
A little cross sectoral partnership working
Comments and learning points


D - PR & TRANSFERABILITY

D1 - Please describe how the GP communicated its experience and success to the public
The overall ppulation in the municipalities, the current and potential clients and the competition know the social project, its aims and philosophy.

D2 - Please describe how the GP communicated with local or national decision makers?
It has been spread officialy through different public meetings. It has obtained the institutional support as a relevant element for the suitable development of the project, from a local initiative to internationalisation. It is likely to be replicated in both aspects:

  1. concentration of cooperatives;
  2. guarantee of origin and quality.

D3 - Are there any elements of this project that you think would transfer particularly well to other contexts?
It can be replicated in any context where a genuine product exists. Capital is not a priority.


E - RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY

E1a - Total annual income of GP 2011/12
No cost specified.

E1b - How is this made up?
100% of funds coming from the cooperative activity.

E1c - Details of human resources
25 industrial workers, 5 managers. (this is the staff in the first level cooperatives; for the 2nd level one, there are no employees yet)

E1d - Details of technology

E1e - Details of financial investment for start-up/early stage
There was no needto count on extra funds to start up the second level cooperative; the union of industrial and commercial synergies was enough.

E1f - Details of external support
CADE Guaro (Andalucía Emprende, Fundación Pública Andaluza), which provided with free business asessment.

E2 - If public funding were withdrawn, could the GP continue to exist?
Yes


F - EXECUTIVE BODY AND CONTACT INFORMATION

F1 - Who set up the GP?
State - wider region

F2 - Who runs the GP?
State - wider region

F3 - Short description/comments
It is a agricultural cooperative that will turn into the dynamic centre of the inland municipalities in the province of Malaga (Sierra de las Nieves y Valle del Guadalhorce).

F4 - Contact
Miguel Ángel Ruiz Bellido
CADE Guaro
Avda. de Andalucía, nº 71. Málaga
Spain
Telephone (+34) 951505076
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Any other contact people
Daniel Arias Meneses


G - SUPPORTING INFORMATION

G1 - Photos (between 1 & 3)

G2 - E documents

G3 - Any other useful information

 

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