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In downturns, social enterprises (SEs) arise as a resilience business model. The authors focus on knowledge absorptive capacity (KAC) as a key dynamic capability to create shared value (SHV). The purpose of this study is to analyze whether it exists a cause-effect relationship between KAC and SHV creation in SEs.

The research model relates KAC and SHV creation. SHV creation involves two components: economic value (EV) and social value (SV). The authors argue that KAC has a positive effect on EV and SV creation, considering SV as a mediator variable. The model is tested by means of PLS-SEM.

The results reveal the existence of a positive and significant relationship between KAC and SHV creation, as well as the mediating role of SV creation.

The sample comprises 127 SEs from the Euro-Mediterranean region (euro-region comprising areas from France and Spain), it would be interesting to include other euro-regions in future research.

The authors confirm KAC as an important antecedent of SHV creation and also that SEs create EV by means of SV, pointing to the existence of direct and indirect effects. This way, confirming the existence of a mediating effect.

It points the importance of KAC in SEs, something that has not been addressed before by the literature. It also goes beyond performance by considering SHV creation as a measure of SEs’ outcomes, as well as the definition of the variable SHV including not only social related issues but also environmental (green) issues.

Agricultural cooperatives have been able to become a strong and consolidated organizational form, although the new challenges of globalization and trade liberalization require changes in the strategic approach. The requirements of the distribution companies, consumers and government about the concentration of demand, traceability, food safety and respect for the environment had led to a thorough reorganization of agricultural food systems. So it is necessary to undertake a strategic review of horticultural cooperatives in order to conduct a strategic assessment and hence identify the strategic actions to be followed in the coming years. This paper seeks to address these issues.

An empirical study has been carried out during the first half of 2011 consisting in the application of the Delphi method and sending a questionnaire to experts whose purpose was to gain a view of the strategic situation of horticultural cooperatives in Spain. The Delphi method is a projection technique of the qualitative and subjective type which is appropriate for studies where there is little information on the subject to be analysed, and also for exploratory studies, as it is the case study of examining the role of agricultural cooperatives in coming out of the crisis of Mediterranean agriculture.

The performed Delphi analysis revealed that Mediterranean agriculture suffers from a severe crisis for which the solutions are hard to find, although the existence of the agricultural cooperatives and certain specific forms of performance and financing can partly improve the described situation. The application of the SWOT analysis based on the opinions of the experts provided sufficient detailed insights of the actual situation of the cooperatives. Thus, from the Delphi SWOT applied to Mediterranean agriculture and agricultural cooperatives, the authors can make some important assessments which are included in their paper.

It is a forward‐looking analysis that tries to give measures to the sector, but measures that come from the sector, in order to face the Mediterranean agriculture crisis.