Fonterra

We support flexible working arrangements that reflect your needs—whether that’s location, hours, or life stage. We welcome open conversations and adapt as your needs evolve.

Fonterra applies the principles of equal opportunity and equity to all recruitment and employment processes. We work to sustain an environment respectful of difference free from harassment and discrimination. 

Our commitment goes beyond our Co-op. We expect our suppliers and partners to uphold the same standards—promoting fairness and inclusivity across our ecosystem.

We ensure no unexplained gender pay gaps exist for the same role. This is embedded in our collective agreements and supported by independent market data for salaried roles.

We invest in local talent. In our main locations, locals make up at least two-thirds of our teams—strengthening our connection to the communities we serve.

Fonterra’s approach prioritises the rights and protections of our employees around the world. In 2014 we adopted ISO26000 and continue to adhere and build on the principles of a socially responsible organisation.

We want everyone to feel welcome when applying for a job with us. 

Our recruitment process is fair and open to people from all backgrounds.

• We write job ads using clear, inclusive language.
• We don’t ask for salary history, so everyone starts on equal ground.
• We offer support if you need adjustments during the process—just let us know.
• We focus on your potential, not just your past experience.
• Our interview guides and templates are designed to reduce bias.
• We aim for diverse interview panels and fair representation.
• We support local hiring and celebrate different cultures and communities.

We’re always learning and improving to make sure our hiring is inclusive and respectful for everyone.

We have strict policies in place to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace. These policies are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they remain effective and relevant.

We offer training programmes to educate our employees about diversity, equity, and inclusion. These programmes help raise awareness and promote understanding, creating a more inclusive workplace culture.

We support various employee networks that provide a platform for employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for positive change. These groups play a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging and community within Fonterra.

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A culture of honesty and integrity is vital to Fonterra’s commitment to become the world’s most trusted source of dairy nutrition. The Way We Work is Fonterra’s business code of conduct. It is underpinned by our set of Group Policies, in particular our Ethical Behaviour Group Policy which defines Fonterra’s expectations in regard to conflict of interest situations, corruption, business gifts and entertainment. Together with our Board Charter, these three documents comprise Fonterra’s code of ethics. All three documents are required to be reviewed and approved annually.

Fonterra does not allow corporate contributions of any kind to a candidate or political party in connection with political elections. No political contributions were made in the past year. We do not offer money or anything of material value to government officials, parties or candidates for the purposes of influencing the acts or decisions of officials.

DOWNLOAD FONTERRA CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

The Way We Work is included in employee induction programmes, and is made available in multiple languages. An online Ethics Portal supports employees to be aware of all potential conflicts of interest and, where these exist, put in place steps to manage conflicts appropriately. A Conflict of Interest e-learning module is also available on this portal. This e-learning module explains how to ‘Do What’s Right’ to maintain our culture of honesty and integrity.

We operate an annual process to ensure managers are familiar with requirements around ethics, compliance and corruption. This is completed through online training and evaluation, with participants required to pass an online test to ensure they have read and understood what is required by the policy.

These policies, in combination with the Board Charter, also set the expectation for Fonterra’s Board of Directors. Directors are expected to keep themselves abreast of trends in the economic, political, social and legal climate. As a group, the Board holds several workshops on relevant subjects each year, and Directors are also expected to keep up to date with governance issues.

Fonterra has a clear set of principles that guide how we manage our tax obligations in New Zealand and around the world.

We pay our fair share of tax in all jurisdictions and do not use tax havens to avoid our tax responsibilities. We are transparent and work with tax authorities to ensure we continue to act responsibly. In New Zealand, co-operatives and corporates are treated differently in tax law. Rather than being taxed directly, Fonterra passes our income on to our farmer shareholders, who pay the tax at their level.

DOWNLOAD FONTERRA TAX PRINCIPLES

Our Group Legal Policy requires all Fonterra’s business units to assign clear accountabilities to ensure compliance with all laws and regulations applying to our operations. It also stipulates that business units develop and implement effective processes, including training, to ensure our employees are familiar with, and comply with, appropriate laws.

It is important to provide employees with a safe and confidential channel to seek advice and raise concerns related to ethical and lawful behaviour. Fonterra provides an independent service, facilitated by Deloitte, available to all our employees around the world. The Hotline is promoted through communications to employees, and is displayed on staff notice boards at operational sites.

There were 38 disclosures to the hotline during FY24. This is an increase on FY23, where 30 disclosures were received. There were no disclosures related to modern slavery or worker exploitation in FY24.