Rights, Commons, and Social Capital: The Role of Cooperation in an Italian Agri-Food Supply Chain

Enrico Giovannetti, Paola Bertolini and Margherita Russo ()
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Enrico Giovannetti: Centro Analisi Politiche Pubbliche (CAPP), Dipartimento di Economia Marco Biagi, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia UNIMORE, 41121 Modena, Italy
Paola Bertolini: Centro Analisi Politiche Pubbliche (CAPP), Dipartimento di Economia Marco Biagi, Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia UNIMORE, 41121 Modena, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-22

Abstract: The paper discusses the relationship between Commons, Social Capital, and sustainability in terms of resources used, tools available, and goals to be achieved. The conceptual framework differs from the traditional one, which considers Commons and Social Capital as different resources. The paper considers Commons and Social Capital as homogeneous assets defined by the rights related to the access, use, and reproduction of collective resources, material or immaterial, which are essential to reduce the difference between private and social costs in the economic processes. This approach derives from a definition of sustainability as a private and social responsibility in reproducing all the resources used in the life processes, minimizing the waste caused by their exhaustion and loss of fertility. The paper refers to the model of Commons by the school of Elinor Ostrom to explain the nature and role of Social Capital and to observe it in different units of analysis, with particular attention to the forms of cooperative enterprise. The last part of the work outlines field research on the Parmigiano Reggiano supply chain as a natural laboratory to test the theoretical hypotheses.

Keywords: sustainability; commons; social capital; cooperative; agri-food supply chain; parmesan cheese district (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:12161-:d:671863

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