The cooperative: for farmers by farmers

The structure of our cooperative comprises of: Members, Districts, District councils, a Members’ Council, a Chairmen's Meeting, and the Board of the cooperative. We will explain what each does below.

• Members

  The cooperative Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A. is owned by the member dairy farmers. Members' meetings are held in their district at least twice a year. The member dairy farmers elect representatives from their district who together form a district council. There are 14 districts and 10 district councilors per district.

• Districts

  Our cooperative’s sphere of operations comprises 16 districts. Each district has a district council, which consists of 8 member dairy farmers. These members put themselves forward for election and are elected by the member dairy farmers from their district. Members therefore choose who represents them. Each district council has a chairman.

  The district council is the link between the members and the cooperative. This council meets regularly for consultation, thinks along and votes on a number of decisions that affect the cooperative and presides over the members' meetings of the district. In these membership meetings, the district council members collect information for meetings with the board. They also explain proposals and decisions of the board to the members in the district.

• Members' Council

  The 140 district council members together form the members' council of Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A. Important proposals or decisions by the board require the adoption or approval of the members' council. Each member of the members' council has the right to vote on behalf of the district. The weight of the vote depends on the amount of milk supplied in the district. Members of the members' council have one vote for every ten million kg of milk that their district supplied to the company during the most recent financial year of the cooperative. With these votes, the members of the members' council represent all dairy farmers of the cooperative.

• Members' Council clusters

  Three clusters are active within the members' council: the members' council clusters. The members' council clusters can delve into topics and are sounding boards for the cooperative board, for example when it comes to sustainability and milk quality (members' council cluster 'Care for animals and nature'), the milk money regulations, special milk flows or company matters (members' council cluster 'Value to us') or activities for members (members' council cluster Member Involvement & Member Loyalty).

• Chairmen's meeting

  The district chairmen of the district councils together form the chairmen's meeting. The chairmen's meeting is a sounding board for the board when it comes to strategic or organizational themes. The chairman's meeting also nominates new board members for the cooperative to the members' council.

• Board

  The board of Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A. consists of eight member dairy farmers who are appointed by the member’s council on the binding nomination of the chairmen's consultation. These eight member dairy farmers manage the cooperative, make decisions and are responsible for the decision-making process. At least three and at most five members of the management board are also part of the supervisory board of the company Royal FrieslandCampina N.V.