On 24 February 2022, the French Rural Network organised a webinar on “Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) in rural areas”. Research findings, concrete network actions and local rural projects were presented during the event, bringing knowledge and good practices to a community of stakeholders.
The study “Social and Solidarity Economy, a chance for fragile territories”, published in March 2021 by the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT), outlines that SSE responds directly to social, environmental or economical local needs. Designed for local policy-makers, this study highlights 6 accelerators, such as sustainable public procurement and direct financial partnerships.
One of the examples presented was the Tressons project, a network of 180 local French municipalities that fosters the implementation of SSE at every governance level. SSE grows especially in rural areas (17.7% of the private sector) among associations and cooperatives. Cooperation, exchange between stakeholders, inhabitants engagement and European funding are some of the keys for success.
A representative of Cap Rural gave an overview of the agriculture rural network in Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions, highlighting how SSE in agriculture leads to short supply chains, organic food, renewable energy, and attractivity strategies toward urban incomers.
All presentations and video recording of the webinar are available on the French Rural Network website.