Risk prevention and management in cooperatives: An instrument to eliminate it or reduce it

The article exposes a methodological proposal that covers aspects to consider in the process of managing and preventing risks, which must be developed in any business or business association, for it constitutes an indispensable instrument for risk elimination or reduction that will further aid to achieve the desired goals. This methodology comes from an investigation that had a precise question as starting point: How to contribute to the risk management and prevention in cooperatives? This was its fundamental problem. The idea comes, of course, from the sudden awakening and ever –growing use of this type of association in a difficult economical and financial context. Its general goal is to expose a methodology for risk management and prevention in cooperatives. The methodology has the necessary flexibility to be adjusted to the peculiarities of each cooperative. Its main advantage consists of assuring a systematic approach to management and prevention that begins with a diagnostic and later elaboration of a map of risks in each area, which will all ease into constant check up and reviewing. Furthermore, it allows to assess the positive impact regarding economics, society and ecology.