ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the main models of social enterprise in Brazil; the analysis is based on empirical research and conceptual studies carried out by the authors. Each organisation in Brazil that is considered as a social enterprise, independently of its historical roots, aims to deliver social benefits or to generate a positive environmental impact for a specific target public or for society as a whole Brazil is one of the most unequal countries on the planet; it is also a huge country, characterised by an immense diversity, originated from the miscegenation of indigenous, African and European ethnicities, among others. The chapter examines some Brazilian historical aspects, such as the predominance of cooperativism since the early 20th century, the development of the popular and solidarity economy, and some new trends that have been emerging in the last years, like social-impact enterprises.
