This special issue presents views from Latin America aiming to shed light on what co-operativism represents as a socio-economic movement in the region. It includes eight academic papers that have been peer-evaluated, from Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay and Colombia, dealing with responses to catastrophes, co-operative contributions to sustainable development, member participation and education, growth strategies, and policy evaluation. Three more articles deal with research in Latin America in general, and one with Brazil in particular, discussing theoretical and methodological approaches, as well as university and post-graduate studies on the subject.

Guest editors Claudia Sanchez Bajo, Mirta Vuotto and Ana Maria Sarria Icaza introduce readers to the diverse co-operative ecosystem in the region. Given that most regional research in published either in Spanish and Portuguese, this effort is intended to enhance the dialogue among co-operative researchers and practitioners, policy-makers and the co-operative movement worldwide.