Abstract
This is the first time that The Journal of Alpine Research has released an issue on cooperative systems, their role, relevance, operational processes and resilience in European and African mountain areas. The six contributions assess the actual and past effects and functioning of rural and agricultural cooperatives operating in different sectors and geographical locations. The authors depict the way the territorial and social capital influence the development of cooperatives, the interrelationships between the actors, and the effect of cooperatives on the business economy of its member’s enterprises as well as on the regional socio-economy. The reader can explore the variety of challenges, developments and adaption strategies experienced by cooperative systems and how strongly these are interlinked with and depend on the local and regional conditions. Thus the articles give a comprehensive picture of the current state of different types of rural and agricultural cooperatives, which still are the most common type.