Los orígenes del cooperativismo de crédito agrario en España, 1890-1934

The fundamental objective of this paper is to show the evolution of the agricultural credit co-operative movement in Spain during the first third of the XX century, when this finance alternative emerged and took shape, based on producer association. With this motive, we analyse aspects such as: establishment of the different organisational models of this type of entity and its promoting agents; the problems faced by this type of co-operative movement in achieving sustainability; its territorial introduction over these years; the functioning of different co-operatives –microanalysis-; the finance sources of these co-operatives. Lastly we explore the role of the state in promoting these financial services. The results of this paper show the limited development and difficulties experienced by this type of cooperativism in establishing itself. Only a fraction of the entities operating at this time managed to survive, thanks to their range of specialised financial products, their pricing policy; management based on microcredit technology and the backing of the associated farmers.Agricultural co-operative movement, rural savings banks, agricultural credit, microcredit, agricultural unions.