Lantmännen is owned by 18,000 members, all active farmers.
"With us, each member has one vote, which distinguishes our business from, for example, a limited liability company where influence is based on the number of shares. With the cooperative's democratic structure comes a great responsibility to promote and facilitate discussion, and our district meetings are a way for us to take that responsibility," says Jesper Broberg, Head of Membership at Lantmännen.
Lantmännen is divided into 20 member districts, each with its own district meeting that has just been held. In total, more than 1,500 members participated on site, and several of them via webcast. Several motions were presented, for example, the Västerbotten district proposed to increase the stocks of seeds, in line with the issue of strengthened food security that Lantmännen has long pursued. Furthermore, the Gotland district had proposals for member involvement, including through a developed profile shop for members and a member communication strategy.
"It's positive to see all the motions, they are part of our continuous improvement work and an important part of member democracy. They provide important insights from and about agriculture and its everyday challenges, something that we can do something about together," says Jesper Broberg.
At the various meetings, 18 new trustees were also elected to various district boards.
"New people bring with them new knowledge and other experiences, which is positive for Lantmännen's future development," says Jesper Broberg.
A fixed point in every district meeting, regardless of location in the country, is when the company management and the company board present the past year, give a look ahead and open up for discussion. At some meetings, experts and profiles also give their views on current events that affect Sweden in general and farmers specifically. One example was from the district meeting on Gotland when Dan Rasmussen, Regimental Commander, spoke about the current situation in Gotland, and how, among other things, NATO membership will affect the presence on Gotland.
Facts
- The district meetings were held from February 26 to March 24.
- The district meetings will be followed by the annual general meeting, which this year will be held on 7 May.
- The twenty districts are Southern Skåne, Northwest Skåne, Kristianstad–Blekinge, Halland, Kronoberg, Kalmar-Öland, Höglandet, Western Sweden, Skaraborg, Gotland, Östergötland, Sörmland, Uppland, Örebro–Värmland, Dala-Aros, Gävleborg, Västernorrland, Jämtland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten.
For more information, please contact:
Lantmännen Press Office
Phone: +46 10 556 88 00
E-mail: press@lantmannen.com