The Social and Solidarity Economy is made up of networks of businesses and civil and consumer organizations that share criteria for production and consumption that are alternative to those promoted by the neoliberal capitalist system. So, speaking about the growth of a solidarity economy is to speak, first and foremost, of inter-cooperation, a concept that is inscribed in the very name of the Red de Redes de la Economía Alternativa y Solidaria (REAS) (Network of Alternative and Solidarity Economy Networks).
The Social and Solidarity Economy shares ethical, democratic, environmental, and solidarity criteria in every territory in which it’s active, intending to meet a significant part of the needs of its participants, especially those of consumers, and disconnect the solidarity economy from the capitalist economy. Therefore, each entity that makes up the network offers different products or services (in diverse sectors such as food production, mobility, education, banking, and communication), which all move towards the same goal- the transformation of the model of production and consumption.