This book explores the role of financial co-operative models in promoting and sustaining local development.

Since the 2008 global financial crisis, there has been a great deal of disillusionment with the banking system, as well as a reaffirmation of the importance of a healthy society for the welfare of the individual. This edited volume argues that the crisis has shown the limits of the mainstream theory of markets and rational expectations, and therefore that new and innovative ways of providing finance are be needed, especially when strengthening the development of local societies. The volume assembles an international set of contributors, and combines theoretical contributions on co-operative finance and its role in local development with empirical investigations and case studies of the relationship between financial co-operative models and local development.

This book examines the opportunities opened up for financial cooperatives by the recent financial crisis, and explores the role of these institutions in promoting and sustaining local development. The global financial crisis has not only shown the limits of the mainstream theory of markets and rational expectations, but has also generated a great deal of disillusionment with the banking system and underlined the importance of a healthy society for the welfare of the individual. Consequently, new and innovative ways of providing finance are needed, especially for strengthening the development of local societies.