A new £20,000 prize aimed at transforming food, farming, and health systems across the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man has now launched.

The initiative, known as the ‘Food System Prize’, will award a minimum of £5,000 to an applicant based in one of the Crown Dependencies - Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.

The prize aims to support innovative ideas or projects - either new or existing - that reimagine how food is grown, distributed, and consumed.

Open to entrepreneurs, farmers, startups, individuals, and organisations, the initiative encourages approaches that enhance soil health, community wellbeing, and local food resilience.

Judges for the inaugural prize include environmentalist and financier Ben Goldsmith, Patrick Holden CBE of the Sustainable Food Trust, Josiah Meldrum of Hodmedod, and Abby Rose, farmer and co-host of the Farmarama podcast.

The initiative is led by Regen Gathering Jersey in partnership with HYPHA Consulting, and is supported by Lloyds Bank Crown Dependencies, Evelyn Partners, The Crown, Farm Jersey, Woven, and the Channel Islands Co-op.

The Food System Prize will offer £15,000 in cash, with an additional £5,000 in branding, website design and marketing support.

A separate £5,000 cash award has been ring-fenced for applicants based in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

Judge Ben Goldsmith said: ‘This prize will celebrate land managers who are working with nature, not against it.

‘Combining ancient wisdom, like rotational farming, with modern tools like soil sensors and drones, offers a pathway to landscapes that are more productive, resilient, and joyful.’

Eligibility for applicants is any individuals, startups, entrepreneurs, farmers, and organisations with ideas that improve food, farming, or health.

The deadline for applications is on October 25, with the winner set to be announced on November 6 at the Jersey Farming Conference.

To apply or find out more, you can visit https://www.regen-gathering.com/