Jerry Spooner
Executive Director – Regenerative Vanua
Jerry Spooner from Vanuatu has over 20 ears experience in both the Private sector and Government. During his time in Government, he led the development of Vanuatu’s sustainable Tourism Policy and Strategy to guide the Tourism industry shift towards a more sustainable one. Co-founder of Regenerative Vanua, Jerry see’s the important role Culinary tourism plays in Agritourism as a behavioral change and a resilience strategy for our small island destinations to better connect travellers to rural communities through regenerative agritourism and local culinary experiences. He see’s the potential in Culinary tourism to support more meaningful participation of communities through Agritoursm with the ultimate goal of protecting traditional knowledge and land sovereignty. This initiative can lead to improving the wellbeing of people based on core values of land, custom, culture, family, community, food, and time to spend connecting to these.
Jerry as the Chair of the Global Agritourism Network Pacific Committee is now working with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Regenerative Vanua in developing the Pacific’s Regenerative Vanua Recognition Pathway guided by the Regenerative Vanua Framework. Since 2024, he has contributed his expertise as an IGCAT Expert.
12 December 2024
