Artisanal Fishing and Fish Farming Networks in Colombia: Social and Solidarity Economy Contribution

Objective: To analyze social and solidarity economy (SSE) contribution aiming on associations and cooperatives, concerning dynamics of artisanal fishing and fish farming in Colombia. Theoretical Framework: This study values the contributions of New Economic Sociology (NES) and Convention Theory (French), based on analytical concepts of social networks, embeddedness, conventions and social construction of markets. Approaches to markets and the social and solidarity economy are connected to the theoretical framework. Method: This research is characterized as descriptive, exploratory and typological, therefore, with a qualitative emphasis. The typological construction of social networks considered eight qualitative variables that allow us to understand the nature of social networks in their interactions with markets, and associations and cooperativism contribution in the outlined social networks Results and Discussion: Four social networks were identified: one of them is related to artisanal fishing (artisanal fishing net) and three belong to fish farming, namely: fish farming network; fish farming in network “transition” and; commodity fish farming network. Social and solidarity economy is present in artisanal fishing networks, fish farming networks, and fish farming networks in “transition”, while associations are the most predominant manifestation, with practices that aim at improving productive processes and quality of life. Research Implications: To understand the contribution of social and solidarity economy of the artisanal fishing network and the three Colombian fish farming networks, regarding the strong spirit of fishermen and fish farmers for the practices of solidarity cooperation and to observe the limits and perspectives that can contribute to cooperative entrepreneurship. Originality/Value: Analyze the contribution of social and solidarity economy in artisanal fishing and fish farming context, based on the notion of social networks, which allow us to observe different patterns present on fishermen and fish farmers’ behaviors in their fishing enterprises and the role played by both Associativism and Cooperativism in different described and analyzed networks.