OUR SUSTAINABILITY AND BEST PRACTICE PROGRAMME. Open future

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1 OUR SUSTAINABILITY AND BEST PRACTICE PROGRAMME Open future

2 At Open Country Dairy we are committed to operating sustainably; environmentally, socially and economically. Our dedication reaches beyond compliance and encompasses integration of ecological practices which support business decisions. At Open Country we foster a culture of continuous improvement to lead the industry and ensure a sustainable future for food supply. This is our commitment. This is our responsibility.

3 WE ARE ACHIEVING THIS 5THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY PILLARS

4 OUR TEAM Responsibility starts from within and we want all our stakeholders to know what they can expect from us and what we expect from them. Through open and engaged communication, rural sponsorships and community projects, Open Country is committed to providing on-going support and development of our farmers, our people, and our communities. We are building a culture within our team as business leaders both within our industry and across the world. 1 These are our people. This is our responsibility.

5 OUR TEAM Satisfaction Conducting an annual Employee Engagement Survey and using the information provided to make positive contributions to the workplace. Conducting an Annual Supplier Satisfaction Survey to identify areas of improvement and implement changes moving forward. Providing a competitive, innovative payment structure system which provides farmers with superior cash flow and payments before the standard industry model. Professional Development Enable and encourage employees to pursue regular and targeted professional development opportunities. Promote and support farmer suppliers workshops which allow development of themselves, their teams and their business. Support Promote community initiatives which add value to the Dairy Industry in New Zealand. Partner with other like-minded businesses to affect positive change within the Dairy Industry. Provide assistance beyond the farm. Contribute to industry organisations who are working to create educational and environmental excellence. Engagement Organise regular factory Open Days to encourage communities to engage with the business. Undertake regular Supplier meetings and Employee road shows to touch base with stakeholders to inform and celebrate. Active engagement with the wider community on plant construction and operations.

6 OUR ASSURANCE Commitment to food safety is embedded in the Open Country culture. All our sites are accredited under international best practices including the globally recognised FSSC We pride ourselves on our secure networks which insure the safety, quality and traceability of our products. This is how we ensure we are supplying the highest quality dairy ingredients to the world. 2 These are our products. This is our responsibility.

7 OUR ASSURANCE Product Safety Internationally recognised food safety accreditation (FSSC 22000) that ensures product safety from manufacturing until the customer receives the final product. Government registered Risk Management Plan designed to manage biological, chemical and physical hazards, wholesomeness and labelling of animal products. Government issued export certifications to assure import authorities that products comply with border requirements. Electronic export certification process that tracks the market eligibility and status of food products from production to export. Positively release all finished product at time of shipping so goods are assured fit-for-use as soon as the customer receives it. Proactively identifying food safety risks and putting controls in place to manage risks before they occur. Member of the Dairy Products Safety Advisory Council responsible for identifying emerging issues within the global market and ensuring the industry is moving in the right direction. Proactivly developing standards to prevent intentional product tampering and sabotage. Quality Raw ingredients are wet-blended with raw milk prior to pasteurisation to minimise bacterial growth throughout the manufacturing process. Certified under ISO/IEC regarding lab testing standard methods, non-standard methods and laboratory developed methods. Priority focus on Food Safety and Customer expectations to ensure maximum quality of finished goods. Sourcing All farmer suppliers operate under a registered Risk Management Programme to ensure all milk delivered to Open Country is safe, wholesome and fit for purpose. National Chemical Contaminants Programme to monitor residual contaminant levels to ensure they do not exceed limits for export markets. Strict milk temperature collection requirements to ensure the microbiological integrity of milk being picked up. Annual farm dairy assessments carried out by an independent third party who is authorised by the New Zealand government. Animal feed declarations are completed by all farmer suppliers to document cow nutrition on farm. Documented vendor approval process to ensure suitable partnerships with reputable suppliers. Proactive biosecurity measures that focus on prevention, early detection and eradication of disease and pests. Traceability Documented Traceability Programme for raw ingredients, finished product and reworked product to ensure efficient identification of product throughout the manufacturing and supply chain processes. Documented Recall process to efficiently identify and remove unsafe products from distribution and adequately communicate the presence of unsafe products in the market. This is tested regularly to identify any areas in need of improvement. Regular tanker screening to validate tanker wholesomeness to ensure the microbiological integrity of the raw milk it carries.

8 OUR ANIMALS Healthy cows on well-kept farms ensure the best quality milk is produced for our products. Our animal welfare requirements promote high standards of husbandry, care and handling. We build strong partnerships with our farmer suppliers by working collaboratively and facilitating the exchange of information amongst our partners to champion industry best practices. These are our farms. This is our responsibility. 3

9 OUR ANIMALS Stockmanship Providing pro-active support to farmers to ensure they and their staff are trained adequately to identify the cattle s needs and ensure appropriate action is taken to address those needs. Future development of a quality assurance programme to ensure animal welfare and husbandry standards are recorded and maintained. Physical Environment Majority of farms are pasture based, allowing animals to behave normally in their physical environment. Early identification of significant exposure to adverse weather, through understanding the animals behaviour. Farm facilities are constructed, maintained and operated in a manner to minimise distress or injury to cattle. Feed and Water Ensuring cattle receive a diet in sufficient quantities and nutritional quality to meet requirements for good health and welfare. Ensuring all cattle have access to daily supply of water sufficient for their needs. Minimising Pain and Distress Financial incentives to reward low somatic cell counts and minimise the prospect of mastitis. Encourage farmers to actively monitor their cattle s body condition to ensure cattle have sufficient nutrition throughout the season and particularly in the lead up to calving. Support and encourage farmers to build beneficial relationship with their vets to assist in the development and implementation of Health Care Plans on farm focused on a preventative health care approach.

10 OUR RESOURCES The best dairy products come from a clean, natural environment and we want to make sure we are doing all we can to keep New Zealand this way. We regularly assess the impact our facilities have on the environment and surrounding communities, focussing waste, conserving energy and, recycling materials through the product life cycle. Creating more with less. 4 This is our business. This is our responsibility.

11 Energy Sophisticated plant design using the latest, specialist technology ensures optimum resource utilisation throughout the manufacturing process. Flexible boiler systems enable plants to operate as efficiently at peak production as during the shoulders of the season. Sophisticated heat recovery technology to reuse energy created during the drying process. Air filters which ensure air released into the atmosphere is safe and clean for the environment. Wanganui dryers are powered by natural gas a clean and renewable energy. Conduct regular energy audits to ensure resource efficiencies and identify need for replacement programs for dated energy solutions. Packaging Partnering with sustainable packaging companies committed to enhancing the environment. Sourcing packaging which both protects the product throughout the products life cycle while preventing product and packaging waste. Powder bags are made from a low GSM poly and craft that makes the packaging lighter and thinner. Shrinkwrap used throughout the supply chain process is collected and recycled by the manufacturer to create slip-sheets. These are then returned to Open Country for transport. Purchase of lecithin that comes in recyclable pods. Fully reusable closed chain pallets. Pallet repairs are carried out on site and part recycled where possible. Unused packaging is recycled onsite. Logistics Optimise transport networks to make deliveries to and from our plants more efficient and less impact on the environment. Optimise the use of rail lines to minimise CO2 emissions created through road travel. Optimising distribution channels by back loading trucks destined for locations along the same route. Forklifts on site all use low emission fuels. Milk network optimisation to ensure efficient scheduling of milk pickups across all Open County Farms. Actively supporting and engaging in initiatives in global shipping to minimise carbon emissions on shipping liners. Manufacturing Waste Minimising any waste created from our operations by maximising the re-use, recycle and recovery of material from production streams. Excess lactose is on sold to a local animal feed company. Permeate, created during the manufacturing process, is on sold to local farmers as a source of lactose for cattle. Curd and whey created from cheese processing is on sold to pig farmers as a source of fat for their animals. Expired plant equipment is on sold for scrap metal. Oil used in compressors is food grade quality. OUR RESOURCES

12 OUR ENVIRONMENT This is our world. This is our responsibility 5 We recognise our collective responsbility to protect the natural environments we operate in and understand the need to reduce our overall impact. Together with our farmer suppliers, we promote a range of initiatives which contribute to the enhancement of the farming ecosystem. We design, implement and monitor initiatives, setting expectations of performance for today and the future.

13 Waste Water Reduce the volume of residual waste water created throughout our manufacturing process on all sites. Sludge spread to land rather than landfill. Treated waste water is recycled for irrigation on farm or stored for use in dry, summer months. Water removed from collected milk is treated and reused in the manufacturing process on site. At all times clean water is separated from waste water. Effluent All dairy farms are to have effluent systems installed to achieve 365-day compliance with regional effluent management rules. Introduction of programmes which reduce the reliance on discharges to water where it would improve water quality outcomes. Three-yearly assessments on effluent systems to review compliance and identify farms at risk of non-compliance. Yearly assessments for farms at risk of noncompliance until compliance risk is completely remedied. Encourage farmers to follow best practices in Farm Dairy Effluent operating systems. Nutrient Management Collect data from farmer to model Nitrogen loss and conversion on farm. Provide performance information to farms to manage Nitrogen efficiency including benchmarking. Engage in catchment programmes that seek to improve water quality outcomes. Manage Phosphorus loss associated with sediment discharge through stock exclusion, riparian management and promotion of good practice on-farm management. Environmental Enhancement Promote and implement measures to exclude cattle from waterways and significant wetlands on dairy pasture. Introduce measure to achieve progressive planting to waterways where it will contribute to overall water quality and ecosystem health enhancement. OUR ENVIRONMENT

14 OUR FUTURE OUR RESPONSIBILITY Please think of the environment before printing this document

15 opencountry.co.nz