Capital and the Debt Trap
Learning from cooperatives in the global crisis
Claudia Sanchez Bajo and Bruno Roelants
The recent financial crisis has had a devastating impact around the globe. Thousands of
businesses have closed, millions of jobs have been cut and many people have lost their
homes. Capital and the Debt Trap explains how key economies have fallen into a 'debt
trap', linking the financial sphere to the real economy, and looks into alternatives to
the constant stream of financial bubbles and shocks. Overlooked by many, cooperatives
across the world have been relatively resilient throughout the crisis. Through four case
studies, this book explores their strategies, providing an in-depth analysis within a
broader debate on wealth generation and a sustainable future. To all those interested in
political economy, enterprise governance, development studies and cooperatives, Capital
and the Debt Trap opens up new ways of thinking.
Introduction
The Mother Of All Crises?
Causes And Mechanisms
Shifting Control versus Ownership
Cooperatives: Importance, Resilience and Rationality
Natividad Island Fishermen's and Divers' Cooperative, Mexico: Managing Natural Resources
to Generate Wealth
Ceralep Société Nouvelle, France: David and Goliath in the Glocal Economy
The Desjardins Cooperative Group: A Financial Movement For Quebec's Development
The Mondragon Cooperative Group: Local Development With A Global Vision
The Global Crisis: Mother of all Warnings
288 pages, Hardback
