How to Make the Invisible Visible? Applying the Social Capital Assessment Tool in a Beekeepers’ Cooperative in the Maule Region (Chile)

This article introduces the Social Capital Assessment Tool for Peasant and Agri­cultural Cooperatives (SCAT-PACs), an innovative methodology consisting of 44 composite in­dicators grouped into 15 dimensions, three of which derive from social network analysis. The tool was applied in a beekeepers’ cooperative in the Maule Region (Chile) to test its empirical applicability. The results reveal medium levels of structural social capital (67.49/100) and normative-cognitive social capital (66.32/100), along with higher scores in governance-re­lated aspects (79.45/100). The analysis highlights notable strengths, such as member moti­vation, trust in institutions, and effective internal governance mechanisms. It also identifies weaknesses, including limited technical knowledge, low female participation, and limited proactivity. SCAT-PAC enables benchmarking and longitudinal monitoring of cooperative per­formance, complementing traditional financial assessments and providing valuable input for the design of public policies. The study demonstrates the potential of the tool to make the “invisible” dimensions of social capital visible and operational for cooperative development.