Credit Matters. The Role of Institutional Support in the Development of the Cooperative Model. A Case Study

The role that the cooperative world could play in local development is often underestimated, with the phenomenon being attributed to specific areas that are richer in cooperative ethos and social capital. This paper analyses the situation of cooperation in Sardinia in light of the still unexpressed potential of this model and the possible role of public institutions in stimulating the mutualistic model, especially by addressing a specific aspect: the difficulties that cooperatives often encounter in accessing credit. We believe that in a condition of simultaneous crisis in both the market and the state, cooperative action and cooperative enterprises present a viable alternative grounded in principles of sharing, social responsibility, personal autonomy, and mutualistic behaviour. To achieve this, there is often a need for appropriate institutional incentives. The paper analyses the effects of a particularly innovative policy aimed at facilitating access to credit, implemented by regional institutions. It observes how the policy encourages the choice of the mutualistic model, the reasons that prompted cooperatives to participate, the effects on the benefiting businesses, and the collaboration networks they activate within the territory.