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Cooperatives are a special form of company:
1) Their aim is not the profit as it is in a private company, but to protect their
members' production giving a better price.
2) The coop is run democratically and virtually every member has one vote for up to
three votes, as opposed to a private company where there is usually a major
shareholder who owns at least 51% of shares and runs the company as his own.
3) When a third person meets the terms of the charter and wants to become a
member of the coop, the coop is obliged to register him, unlike private
companies where only if the existing shareholders agree can a third party acquire
shares.
4) The strength lies in unity, the more members one coop has the stronger it is, this
is one reason why it is essential that the Coop has at least 20 members and those
members better not be kins of first degree.