Why Fonterra accepted defeat in the dairy aisle
OPINION: Fonterra's sale of its consumer dairy business to Lactalis is a clear sign of the co-operative’s failure to compete in the branded consumer market.
Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman James Barron says it’s important for all shareholders to participate in the review process.
Read: Call to scrap Fonterra shareholders body.
He says the Fonterra farmer base will have a wide range of views on the future shape of the council.
“I would encourage all shareholders to take part in the review process governed by the steering group.”
The nine-member steering group is made up of two shareholders councillors, two Fonterra directors and four farmer shareholders chosen by Barron.
“I was very aware of the importance of having the right people leading this review,” he says.
“I reviewed all the applicants against a comprehensive set of skills and attributes including their understanding of governance and representation, experience of consultation processes, integrity, honesty, leadership, sound judgement, communication and listening skills, and ability to challenge and critique constructively.
“Together, the group combines a strong level of knowledge and understanding of how governance, representation and management work in our co-op, balanced with an appropriate level of objectivity.”
The Steering Group has appointed James Buwalda as its independent chair.
Buwalda is chair of the Ospri Stakeholders Council and has a lot of experience consulting for industry sector groups, government agencies and research and academic institutions.
The group says it chose Buwalda “after considering a wide range of candidates, because of his independence, chair experience, reputation, experience in collaborating with stakeholder groups and his sound grasp of the methodology which should underpin a review such as this.”
The steering group is meeting regularly via conference call, developing the process for consultation with Fonterra shareholders and sharemilkers.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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