
Centrosur: e-ISSN 2706-6800 - April - June 2021
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Likewise, in this same document it is commented that 65% of the social organizations
surveyed, comment on their positive impact towards peaceful coexistence; but in the
associations analyzed in this research, although indeed the majority of those surveyed
perceive the same, the group workshops show that in reality coexistence and teamwork are
the most important shortcomings in these associations. It is worth noting that CIREC (2015),
highlights that this condition of "low associativity" is common at the beginning of the
associative processes, coinciding with the fact that the associations analyzed in this study,
only one, can be said to have been founded more than four years ago and considers itself a
consolidated association.
Likewise, Hoinle, et al. (2013) comments that one of the obstacles in the beginning of the
development of a cooperative or association is teamwork, "Many women are used to working
with a boss and obeying". Self-management is precisely a topic of work for these associations,
thus seeking the empowerment of women, and with them the growth of the association, as
stated by Brumer and Dos Anjos, (2008, p. 225), cited by Hoinle, et al. (2013) Women are first
organized out of necessity: "From the struggle for land" in the encampments women, go on
to "discuss problems of the feminine condition; so the concept of transformative potential
unfolds from immediate needs to more universal issues of society and gender roles" .
With respect to the reasons why to associate, as well as the results of Gómez, Aguilar, Pineda,
Collazos, Herrera and Rojas (2015), the associations of the two municipalities associated in
order to achieve trade agreements, better prices in the market and growth opportunities,
but, they have begun to become disillusioned with the process; or even have given up on it,
because not knowing the processes and not persevering in the same, leads them to feel
disappointed and abandon the association.
According to the National Administrative Department of Statistics DANE (2013),
approximately 74% of MSMEs (small business units) are rural, and provide more than 56% of
rural employment, however, a large number of small and medium producers in the
agricultural sector do not make appropriate decisions on issues of financing, marketing and
strategic trade alliances; and mostly leave the trade of their products to third parties that
acquire their products at very low costs and sell them on the market at high prices. In this
case, the associations analyzed commented that they "felt used" by third parties for profit,
without generating real economic sustainability for the associates and, as stated by
Bohorquez Carillo, et al (2020), the results of this experience are "unequal conditions of
commercial exchange and generate imbalances, which leads to small producers continuing to
live in conditions of poverty". Fair trade is precisely one of the pillars of the social economy or
solidarity economy and, therefore, it would be interesting to conduct a study on fair market
prices and strategies with the associations in the area.