Resumen de Social and solidarity economy: the case of an urban consumption co-operative in Greece
The apparent ubiquity of alternative – to the dominant economic model – economies, after the 2008 multidimensional crisis across the world, fuelled claims about a new style of mobilisation emerging in Greece. It is the outcome of the evolution of the Greek anti-austerity movement and communitybased experiences, consolidated to form new affiliations of collective initiatives and practices. Analysing original qualitative data derived from a case study of a Greek Urban Consumer Co-operative, this article engages with the debate of Social and Solidarity Economy. The research highlights the capacity of a Greek Urban Consumer Co-operative through sustainable consumption patterns to utilise local-traditional resources in order to empower local communities in times of crisis. Theoretically, this urban consumer cooperative generates new insights into the nature and meanings of a more sustainable and just economy, by changing the way it buys and sells food and other goods. From a policy and practice perspective, the paper raises the need for regional development strategies that capture the ‘alternativeness’ of these isolated initiatives, whose practices promote ethical, as well as environmental criteria and considerations in times of global economic crisis
