Public policies of co-production and cooperatives in Mercosur
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| Autor: | |
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| Format: | artículo original |
| Estat: | Versión publicada |
| Data de publicació: | 2026 |
| Descripció: | This study examines regionalism within MERCOSUR in light of recent theories on policymaking, focusing on two lower-level institutional bodies: the Specialised Meeting on Cooperatives (RECM, 2001) and the Specialised Meeting on Family Farming (REAF, 2004). These theories include Ostrom's polycentricity and co-production, Tremblay's co-creation and co-construction, and Pesqueux's theories of organisational knowledge. While literature on MERCOSUR has generally focused on trade and the relationship between Argentina and Brazil, literature on co-creation and co-production has primarily developed within national contexts. Only a few studies have concentrated on one organisation at the regional level. The main question is as follows: how can bodies such as the RECM and the REAF be understood within the MERCOSUR framework in light of public policy theory? The approach used is mixed, combining institutionalist and constructivist perspectives. This comparative case study involves process tracking and documentary analysis, complemented by the author’s conversations with members of the RECM between 2003 and 2008. From an analytical perspective, the RECM and the REAF function as mechanisms of dynamic co-construction, operating as structural components of MERCOSUR regionalism. This is underpinned by a polycentric architecture with an epistemic foundation, and a meso level acts as an institutional pivot. The substantive focus is on the 2015 MERCOSUR Cooperative Statute (ratified by Uruguay and Brazil), GMC Recommendation 02/2018, the 2017 RECM-REAF Agreement (linked to the SDGs), and pandemic-related initiatives concerning supply, donations, loans, virtual training, and the agreement with ECLAC. Constraints include gaps between co-creation and national implementation, as well as issues relating to funding sources. This article contributes to the study of regionalism by offering a scalar extension of public policy theories and recognising the ontology of shared values as an institutional resource. It also emphasises the importance of the epistemic function as a constitutive element in the co-creation of public policies. |
| Pais: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Institution: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Idioma: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:portal.revistas.ucr.ac.cr:article/5533 |
| Accés en línia: | https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/ralp/article/view/5533 |
| Paraula clau: | Regionalism multilevel governance knowledge construction food security COVID-19 polycentricity co-creation regionalismo gobernanza multinivel construccion del conocimiento seguridad alimentaria co-creación policentricidad |