Richie recruited for Fonterra charm offensive

Richie McCaw discusses Fonterra with his sister and brother-in-law, dairy farmers in North Canterbury. Photo / YouTube

Fonterra has enlisted the help of Richie McCaw to help show the farmer's co-operative is not a "faceless corporate".

McCaw stars in a series of videos circulating on social media showing discussing Fonterra at 4.31am. He said the videos were about having "honest conversations".

The first video shared by McCaw on Facebook sees him meet up with his sister and brother-in-law at their diary farm in Swannanoa, North Canterbury.

I’ve been up at 4:31am meeting Fonterra farmers, including my sister and brother in-law, to have some honest conversations. I'm proud to tell their story #431AM

Posted by Richie McCaw on Tuesday, May 10, 2016

McCaw says: "People maybe think of Fonterra as a big faceless corporate."

His brother-in-law responds: "But Fonterra is owned by its farmers. 10,500 farming families. That's a big team, bigger than the 15 you're used to."

In another video, Hawera farmer Simon says New Zealand's dairy farmers are punching above their weight.

"We're a lightweight with some big gloves on.... And at 4.30 in the morning you're getting up to do your best for your country."

The videos discuss topics of science and innovation on farms, farmers caring for the environment, and why McCaw was helping Fonterra with the series.

"We grew up on a farm, so I understand farming and from what I've seen, Fonterra is a great story," McCaw says. "It's a great story that I think Kiwis should all be proud of."

"I want people to understand the kind of things that happen [on farms] and the great people, the farmers that own Fonterra that they care about what they do, they love what they do, they love New Zealand and they want to do it right."

McCaw has been a brand ambassador for Fonterra since 2012.

Watch the videos here on YouTube.