Renewed Partnership for Sustainable Food Education in Monaco’s School

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Department of Education, Youth and Sports, the company Terrae, and Monaco Telecom renew their partnership to support education on sustainable food in the schools of the Principality.

On Wednesday, April 16, Mr. Olivier Wenden, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Mr. Jean-Philippe Vinci, Director of the Department of Education, Youth and Sports, and Ms. Jessica Sbaraglia, Founder of Terrae, gathered at the Foundation’s headquarters to formalize the extension of their partnership. This initiative aims to maintain sustainable and healthy food education within the Principality’s schools through engaging, hands-on activities.

Since the launch of the program in autumn 2020, six schools have already benefited from this practical introduction to nature, fruit and vegetable cultivation, and the importance of seasonal awareness.

For M. Jean-Philippe Vinci: “To educate, to awaken and to nurture: this is a wonderful project that reinvents both the city and pedagogy. Thanks to Terrae, students are learning to connect with nature, to understand the seasons and to embrace patience! It is a true path to finding daily wonder and raising awareness about all aspects of sustainable development.”

According to Mr. Olivier Wenden, “It is our collective responsibility to pass on to younger generations a taste for responsible eating and respect for nature’s rhythms. By rediscovering the cycle of the seasons and the value of working the land, we help them reconnect with essential values for building a sustainable future. We are pleased today to renew our support for the actions carried out within the Principality’s schools, and we thank Monaco Telecom for its steadfast commitment alongside us, reflecting our shared determination to act together for future generations.”

The signing of the agreement took place in the presence of Ms. Corinne Pirinoli, Director of Human Resources, Communications, and Customer Relations at Monaco Telecom. Monaco Telecom has been supporting the Foundation since 2021, with the aim of sustaining this educational and urban garden program within schools, through a donation of €10,658, derived from funds collected through paper bill printing.

Ms. Corinne Pirinoli states: "reducing our carbon footprint and recycling our waste are at the heart of our CSR approach. Our commitment to sustainable and responsible digital practices includes, among other things, a widespread shift to paperless processes, particularly for our customer invoices. This is why, for several years now, paper invoices have incurred a fee for subscribers under the age of 60. In agreement with the Prince’s Government and the National Council, we committed to ensuring that the funds collected contribute to environmental initiatives. Since 2019, over €76,000 has been donated to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Through this local partnership, we have chosen to continue supporting the actions led by Jessica Sbaraglia and Monaco’s National Education system to raise awareness among the youngest generations in schools across the Principality."

“At Terrae, we are proud to renew, for the seventh consecutive year, our partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Department of Education, Youth and Sports,” said Ms. Jessica Sbaraglia. She continued: “This joint program raises awareness among nearly 1,500 children in the Principality each year about urban farming, the cycle of seasons, insects, seeds, and aromatic plants, through the maintenance of nine educational gardens installed in local schools. We also have the joy of welcoming students to our Terrae mini farm, located at the foot of the Tour Odéon, where they can discover a vibrant ecosystem combining vegetable growing, chickens, and beehives in the heart of the city. Driven by our deep passion for sharing knowledge, we offer children a living, immersive experience that sparks their curiosity, sharpens their observational skills, develops their taste, and teaches them to respect the natural rhythm of life’s cycles.”