The different networking strategies of social cooperatives in social farming: Evidence from Italy

The aim of this work is to showcase the tendency of agricultural social cooperatives to network. Specifically, the analysis of agricultural social cooperation indicates greater complexity and layering of management models compared to agricultural companies. To investigate this complexity, based on empirical research, three ideal-typical models were identified, which will be described by emphasizing the differences that distinguish them and their respective potentials and criticalities. The premise is that agricultural social cooperation distinguishes itself in its modus operandi through a fundamental element: the tendency to network. Based on this objective element, the three modalities through which the world of social cooperation carries out social farming activities in Italy are: (i) autonomously, leveraging the networking capabilities of the organization's internal members; (ii) networking with Third Sector actors through “strong” ties (bonding social capital) with similar actors founded on strong identity and value homogeneity, cohesion, trust, and solidarity; (iii) networking with for-profit actors, developing “weak” ties (bridging social capital) with diverse actors who, by sharing the objectives and aims of the action, can broaden their outlook and scope of intervention, utilizing different resources functional to achieving mutual interests (Granovetter, 1973; Coleman, 1988; Portes, 1998 and 2000; Burt, 2000; Leonard, 2004). The existence of these networks denotes the adoption of a strongly cooperation-oriented approach as a coordination mechanism (Borzaga and Tortia, 2017), which should enable fruitful dialogue among different actors engaged in social farming, making it possible to establish discussion forums between the public and private sectors, whether for-profit or non-profit.