“Transformative Economies.” Theoretical developments and associated practices

Abstract

This article addresses the notion of “transformative economies,” consolidated in recent years as an integrative framework for diverse initiatives that seek to reorganize economic life around principles of solidarity, equity, cooperation, and sustainability, in contrast to the capitalist logics with which they coexist. In a context of ecosocial crisis and the weakening of the Welfare State, these experiences propose ways of (re)embedding the economy in social and ecological relations and of influencing public policies toward an urgent ecosocial transition. The text provides a theoretical and methodological contextualization of the case studies of this dossier conducted in Spain, Portugal, and Argentina. The analyses highlight both concrete practices—such as agroecological provisioning, community care, inclusive recycling, and cooperative cycle logistics—and the dilemmas and tensions they confront: the pursuit of sustainability in precarious, market-driven environments; negotiation with public institutions, with risks of dependency, co-optation, and depoliticization; and the challenge of balancing ideological coherence with the expansion of their social outreach.