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The objective of this paper is to identify the determining factors of the agrarian crisis in Mediterranean Spain and the solutions agricultural cooperatives could provide. The methodology consists of the application of the Delphi Method through a questionnaire presented to experts in 2011. The conclusion of this study is that agricultural cooperatives represent an appropriate formula for facing threats and weaknesses in this sector. Implementing a competitive differentiation strategy based on quality is compatible with strategies to reduce production prices through the concentration of agricultural supply. Strategic alliances have the power to set up strategies aimed at improving professionalisation in management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this paper is to analyse changes in the collective imaginary regarding Spanish rurality from 1940 to the present. For this purpose a historical-sociological methodology was used that allows for the differentiation of three different phases in the evolution of this imaginary. These phases are: 1) conservative mystification of rurality; 2) contempt and disdain for rural life; 3) current tendencies towards the revalorisation of rural areas, which came about simultaneously with growing consideration for rural areas as places for leisure and tourism. The study of these transformations shows that the Spanish collective imaginary on rurality is not intrinsic and indifferent to time and context, but the product of a social construction in constant social and historical change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]