Transitions in solidarity credit cooperatives in Minas Gerais: a case study from an institutional perspective

This study is part of a new agenda for research and discussion on solidarity credit cooperativism in Minas Gerais that seeks to unveil the structuring, organization and impact of the insertion of a new cooperative system in the state. The object of study is a solidary credit cooperative, Cresol Sudeste de Minas, formerly Creditag Fervedouro, which offers financial products and services with priority for family farming, located in Fervedouro/ MG. The objective is to describe the trajectory and the structuring process of the Cresol Sudeste de Minas cooperative with the scope of the 2007/2017 time frame, identifying the organizational changes spread since the transition from Creditag Fervedouro to the Cresol system. The method used was either qualitative and descriptive, and the case study was applied as a research strategy with the use of semi-structured interviews with key actors. The search for legitimacy, the desire to operationalize the PRONAF and the demands imposed by the external environment were key factors that culminated the transition to the Cresol system, and the advantages of organizational changes presented by the cooperative members themselves and the cooperative leaders go beyond that they wanted.