‘SCOOP’ The Sustainable Cooperative Ltd won top prize in Jersey at this years Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards, taking away £2000 to invest back into their ‘Re-wild my plate’ educational event later this year. We caught up with team member Kaspar…
Congratulations on winning the Best Conservation Project! How does it feel after the hard work so far?
We’re delighted to be recognised for our contribution to conservation efforts in Jersey, alongside so many wonderful and inspiring projects. We are still at the beginning of our journey, but we hope that it can demonstrate the valuable role local businesses can play in protecting our environment, by giving people the choice to live their lives in a more sustainable way and creating infrastructures that support a more responsible management of our natural resources and a network of like-minded businesses.
“We all need to do everything we can to ensure that future generations have an opportunity to enjoy this island and the world we live in”
What does the award mean to SCOOP, and how will it help moving forwards?
The award enables us to develop ‘Re-wild my plate’ and share our vision for the future of food in Jersey. ‘Re-wild my plate’ aims to help people understand how the food we eat affects the environment and how our eating habits can increase biodiversity and protect our natural resources. We want to teach people how to use their diets as a practical conservation tool.
‘Re-wild my plate’ will be hosted in collaboration with ‘The morning boat’, a programme of ground breaking public art projects. We hope that the award will also help us spread the word about what we are doing and how people can get involved.
We had a record number on entries this year in both the bailiwick and Jersey; are you excited for the future of conservation in the channel islands?
Excited and determined. It has become more evident in the last few years how critical and fragile the situation and our future is, so it’s great to see so many initiatives working towards a common goal. We all need to do everything we can to ensure that future generations have an opportunity to enjoy this island and the world we live in.
How will you look to spend the £2000 prize to help develop the project?
The prize fund will go towards hosting the first ‘Re-wild my plate’ event later this year. We look forward to engaging with community groups, schools, nurseries and the general public, to give people of all ages the confidence to become culinary conservationists!
What is your advice for all conservationists looking to make a difference in the channel islands?
Anybody involved in conservation knows that the environment is a cause worth working for, but we need to enthuse the wider community. We need to think of how we can re-imagine the system and inspire a cultural shift towards consumption that puts back what it takes. We also like to think of everybody as a conservationist, the moment they choose to follow a diet that has a positive impact on the environment. It’s one of the biggest differences we can all make.
The Channel Islands, as a small independent jurisdiction, is the perfect place to demonstrate a more sustainable approach towards resource management, from energy use, to farming practices and waste management. With the right vision we could become an internationally recognised example of best practice. It’s an opportunity that I hope our politicians and business community will support and welcome in the coming year.
How can the public keep up to date with your project activity?
We’ll be posting updates to our social media channels (https://www.facebook.com/groups/organicjersey/) and will soon have a website to share information about the project.
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