What business structure allows multiple producers to pool their resources and share profits?

A cooperative is a business structure specifically designed to allow multiple producers or individuals to pool their resources and share profits equitably among themselves. This model is commonly used in agriculture and other sectors where collaborative efforts can enhance production, bargaining power, and market access.

In a cooperative, members usually have equal voting rights and control over the organization, allowing them to make decisions collectively about how to manage their resources and share any profits generated from their combined efforts. This structure fosters a sense of community and mutual aid, which can be particularly beneficial in rural or specialized markets where individual producers might lack the resources or market influence to compete effectively on their own.

The other options, while they have their own unique characteristics, do not facilitate the pooling of resources and profit-sharing among a group of producers in the same way. A joint venture is more of a temporary partnership for specific projects, a corporation is a separate legal entity focused on profits for shareholders, and a franchise involves a contractual agreement between a franchisor and a franchisee, emphasizing brand use over resource pooling.