The co-op's farmer shareholders have voted to support a change to its capital structure, which would reduce the number of shares needed to join, and discourage farmers from selling extra shares to non-farmers.
NZME's Rowena Duncum says the system needed change but they still have to get past O'Connor, who's been cold to the idea.
However, she isn't sure how one man against 85 percent of Fonterra shareholders is going to stack up.