Corporate Governance
Group strategy
The Group comprises businesses that produce nutritious and healthy food. Increasing global demand for sustainable and healthy diets drives our continued strategy of evolving to meet the changing needs of our customers, smallholder growers and others.
Alongside generating returns for our shareholders we have a role to ensure we use resources responsibly, build strong rural economies and ensure thriving healthy communities by drawing upon everything we have learnt over many decades as a tea, macadamia, and avocado producer.
The role of the Board
The Board is responsible for the long-term success of the Group through nominating independent Directors, selecting the Chairman and CEO, monitoring Group strategy and management execution, setting senior management compensation and providing oversight to the Group's financial reporting, internal control systems, business conduct and code of ethics through our Group Principal Policies.
Board Committees
Audit Committee
Our audit committee are responsible for the oversight of the financial reporting and disclosure process.
The principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include overseeing our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our financial statements; overseeing our internal accounting controls and audit procedures; reviewing and approving any related party transactions; and reports regularly to the Board. The Audit Committee is chaired by Rachel English, independent non-executive director.
Remuneration Committee
The principal responsibilities of the Remuneration Committee include reviewing the Group’s policy relating to remuneration of the Chairman, executive Directors and the Company Secretary; determining the terms of employment of the Chairman, executive Directors and Company Secretary with a view to ensuring that those individuals are fairly and responsibly rewarded; and approving compensation packages or arrangements following the severance of any executive Director’s service contract. The Remuneration Committee is chaired by Rachel English.
Nomination Committee
The principal responsibilities of the Nomination Committee include reviewing the balance and composition (including gender and diversity) of the Board; overseeing the Board’s succession planning requirements, including the identification and assessment of potential Board candidates; reviewing the leadership needs of, and succession planning for, the Group in relation to both its executive and non-executive Directors and other senior executives. The Nomination Committee is chaired by Simon Turner, the Group non-executive Chairman.
Sustainability and Safeguarding Committee
The Sustainability and Safeguarding Committee is responsible for promoting human rights across the Group and further enhancing the Group’s environmental and sustainability practices. In 2024 the Board agreed to review the Committee’s terms of reference and changed its role from an advisory committee to a Board Committee. The Committee is chaired by Rachel English and the other member is Simon Turner. The Committee advises the Board on strategy in these areas and monitors and reports on progress against the agreed strategy.
Group principal policies – GPPs
We empower our local leadership teams to determine and adopt best practices under the umbrella of our Group Principal Policies. This model enables us to ensure the continuity, development, and progressive growth of these individual enterprises in an ethical and responsible way, that is relevant to their local jurisdictions and cultures.
Certification and traceability
As part of our end to end supply chain, our operations are required to meet the requirements of our customers and suppliers in terms of certifications and traceability…
Health and safety
We take responsibility for our people by promoting good health and providing a safe and healthy workplace to protect all employees, contractors, visitors and the public…
Environmental
We are mindful of the environment in which we operate, recognising that our operations require natural resources and that our operations generate emissions and waste…
Employee welfare
Our employees are at the heart of what we do, and their safety and welfare is paramount, as described in Environmental and Social report…
Human Rights
We respect and support Group companies’ efforts to respect the dignity, wellbeing and Human Rights of the Group’s employees, the communities in which the Group operates…
Compliance GPPs
Anti-Bribery and corruption
The Company has adopted an anti-bribery policy which complies primarily with the requirements of the UK Bribery Act 2010 although the Board also requires compliance…
Whistleblowing
Our whistleblowing policy provides guidelines for people who feel they need to raise certain issues in confidence. It is designed to protect those raising a genuine concern…
Modern slavery statement
As part of the Board’s long-standing commitment to maintaining high legal and ethical standards, slavery, human trafficking or forced labour in any form is prohibited in its global Group company operations.
Tax principles
The Group’s tax principles include: compliance with applicable tax laws; payment of the correct tax amounts; interpretation of tax law; undertaking tax planning based on commercial rationale…