The cooperative principles and community practices of the members of the Ñu-Xahoi coffee growers' cooperative

Abstract

The objective of this investigation is to identify the cooperative principles, established in the General Law of Cooperative Societies of Mexico, that the members of the Ñu-Xahoi cooperative implement in their organizational processes; as well as deepen their community practices, linked to the social and solidarity economy, specifically, the social organization, community assemblies are resumed; as well as the tasks, in order to know the contribution they have had to the strengthening of the same cooperative. The importance of the work lies in making visible the cooperative experience of coffee producers from the Sierra Otomí-Tepehua of Hidalgo, whose members operate in a scenario of very restrictive socioeconomic and environmental conditions, where poverty and social backwardness predominate. The study method used for the research is ethnographic, which implies in-depth field work, based on participant observation, semi-structured interviews and directed interviews; as well as complementary instruments: photographs and maps. Among the first findings, it is found that the Ñu-Xahoi cooperative implements some cooperative principles established by law, such as freedom of association and voluntary withdrawal of members, democratic administration, promotion of ecological culture, etc. At the same time, it takes up elements of their community life, expressed in democratic, supportive and self-management practices that contribute to the strengthening of the organization itself, which means that the Ñu-Xahoi cooperative is part of a social and solidarity economy experience.