FARMERS and food producers with innovative ideas are being invited to apply for a £20,000 prize – with £5,000 ring-fenced specifically for applicants from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
The inaugural Food System Prize is aimed at new and existing businesses as well as individuals and startups with ideas that reimagine how good is grown, distributed or eaten. Organisers said they were interested in proposals ranging from soil health to communities’ health.
It was started by the founders of Jersey’s Regen Gathering, an annual event focused on regenerative food and farming.
Judge Ben Goldsmith, who started the Conservation Collective, said he was “pleased” to “celebrate land managers who are working with nature, not against it”.
He added: “Combining the best of ancient wisdom, such as rotational practices, with modern technology, such as soil sensors, drones and no-till, offers a pathway to landscapes that are not only more productive and more resilient, but more joyful too.”
Taylor Smythe, of Regen Gathering, said the award was created to “support farmers and entrepreneurs who are driving real change”.
“Building resilience and diversity into our supply chains is absolutely vital. There’s a huge untapped opportunity to bring imagination and creativity into real community and the farming sector.”
Applications are open until 25 October. Winners are to be announced at the Jersey Farming Conference on 6 November.
To apply, visit www.regen-gathering.com and submit 500 words about your idea or business.
