Abstract

ESPINOZA-GUZMAN, Marco Antonio et al. Sustainability in Three Social Enterprises in the Tuxtlas Region, Veracruz, Mexico. Soc. ambient. [online]. 2018, n.18, pp.231-254. ISSN 2007-6576.

One of the models to mitigate the socio-environmental crisis at the regional level is the creation of social enterprises. However, it is necessary to generate indicators for their evaluation, strengthening and/or consolidation. The objective of this work was to evaluate and compare temporarily (one period) and between companies, with sustainability indicators, three social enterprises in Los Tuxtlas region, Veracruz. In-depth interviews were applied to key social actors of social enterprises and the information was subjected to content analysis to subsequently apply the sustainability indicators. The social enterprise (ES) “Agua y Monte de Pajapan S. C. de C. V. de R. L.” is the one that obtained the best results: three sustainability indicators were maintained and the rest grew; in the ES “Uno Caña Artesanías de Bambú Sociedad Cooperativa Tantoyuca en Acción S. C. de R. L. de C. V.” two indicators were maintained, two grew and two went down; the ES “Naturaleza y Cultura Jomxuk S. C. de R. L. de C. V.” only maintained one indicator, grew in another and decreased in the rest. Although the method is adequate to obtain the information first hand, accurately and at low cost, it is convenient to do this type of work periodically. We consider that the method used in this work is appropriate for the comparison of social enterprises that offer different products or services.

Keywords : social enterprises; cooperatives; sustainability indicators; sustainability assessment; conservation of local ecosystems.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )