“Nature-based Enterprises”? A critical review through the lens of plural Social and Solidarity Economy perspectives

Callorda Fossati, Ela;Lemaître, Andreia;Ruiz Rivera, Maria José
(2026) 16th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics. Looking for (the) Just Judges – Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive Well-Being in Turbulent Times — Location: Ghent University (30.June.2026)

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The notion of Nature-based Enterprise (NbE) has recently gained prominence at the science-policy-business interface as a vehicle for operationalizing Nature-based Solutions (NbS), yet its conceptualization remains narrow. Existing definitions largely frame NbEs as mission-driven market actors delivering ecosystem services, neglecting crucial issues of governance, politics, and political ontology. This article develops a narrative literature review that brings to light the limits of the NbE concept and proposes to rethink it through plural Social and Solidarity Economy perspectives (pSSEp) from Europe and Latin America (LA). We argue that pSSEp, by highlighting three overlooked dimensions, provide the ground for a robust framework to move beyond economicist understandings of NbEs. First, core EMES research highlights how social enterprises anchor their societal mission in specific governance arrangements that include limited profit distribution and decision-making power not being determined by capital ownership. Second, socio-politics: diverse strands of SSE research show that commitment to a societal mission goes well beyond organisational governance and is embedded, for instance, in the creation of local public arenas of participation and deliberation. Third, ontological politics: SSE research related to (LA) post-development theory helps to grasp the potential of enterprises “driven by nature-based missions” not merely as representatives of different worldviews, but as spaces for rethinking life and enacting relational worlds. By foregrounding these dimensions, our contribution situates NbEs within wider debates on strong sustainability, outlining a research agenda for more transformative and justice-oriented approaches to the “economics of NbS”.
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Callorda Fossati, E., Lemaître, A., & Ruiz Rivera, M. J. (2026, July 2). “Nature-based Enterprises”? A critical review through the lens of plural Social and Solidarity Economy perspectives. 16th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics. Looking for (the) Just Judges – Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive Well-Being in Turbulent Times, Ghent University. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/278338